# The 15 Most Impactful NBA Trades of All Time

> Some sent dynasties into free fall, others built them overnight — these blockbusters span every era of the league's history, from the 1960s to a deal that dropped just this year. Which one changed the game most?

*By YPB Team · Published June 30, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-15-most-impactful-nba-trades-of-all-time*

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## Current results (3 votes)

1. **Kevin Garnett to Celtics (2007)** — 66.67% (2 votes · score 1000/1000)
   Minnesota shipped its franchise legend to Boston for five players and two picks, instantly creating the Banner 17 big three with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.
2. **Gary Payton & Karl Malone to Lakers (2003)** — 0% (0 votes · score 710/1000)
   Two Hall of Famers arrived in LA via trade and free agency to chase Shaq and Kobe's ring, forming a star-studded but ultimately failed superteam.
3. **Pau Gasol to Lakers (2008)** — 33.33% (1 votes · score 692/1000)
   Los Angeles acquired the Spanish big man from Memphis for essentially nothing, sparking back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.
4. **Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Lakers (1975)** — 0% (0 votes · score 663/1000)
   Milwaukee sent Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Los Angeles for four players, giving the Lakers the greatest center of all time and launching a dynasty.
5. **Charles Barkley to Suns (1992)** — 0% (0 votes · score 473/1000)
   Philadelphia traded its franchise player to Phoenix for three young assets; Barkley won MVP and took the Suns to the Finals.
6. **Kevin McHale trade (Robert Parish, 1980)** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   Golden State sent the third overall pick—Kevin McHale—and Robert Parish to Boston for two lower picks, gifting the Celtics a dynasty-defining frontcourt.
7. **Wilt Chamberlain to Lakers (1968)** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   Philadelphia traded the legendary 100-point scorer to the Lakers, forming a superteam that won the 1972 NBA championship.
8. **Moses Malone to 76ers (1982)** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   The Sixers acquired Malone from Houston for $13.2 million and Caldwell Jones; he promptly led them to the 1983 championship with a dominant playoff run.
9. **Shaquille O'Neal to Heat (2004)** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   The Lakers broke up their three-peat dynasty by shipping Shaq to Miami, where he immediately won a title with Dwyane Wade.
10. **Anthony Davis to Lakers (2019)** — 0% (0 votes · score 284/1000)
   New Orleans shipped its superstar big man to LA in a blockbuster that reunited him with LeBron James and led to the 2020 Bubble title.
11. **Patrick Ewing to Knicks (via draft, 1985)** — 0% (0 votes · score 284/1000)
   The Knicks won the first draft lottery to select the Georgetown center, transforming New York into a perennial playoff contender through the 1990s.
12. **Allen Iverson to Nuggets (2006)** — 0% (0 votes · score 158/1000)
   Philadelphia traded its iconic Answer to Denver for Andre Miller and two others, briefly pairing him with Carmelo Anthony in an explosive backcourt.
13. **Kawhi Leonard to Raptors (2018)** — 0% (0 votes · score 158/1000)
   San Antonio sent its Finals MVP to Toronto for DeMar DeRozan, leading the Raptors to their first-ever NBA championship in 2019.
14. **James Harden to Nets (2021)** — 0% (0 votes · score 158/1000)
   Oklahoma City's 2012 trade of Harden to Houston created this chain reaction, ultimately landing the Beard in Brooklyn alongside Durant and Irving.
15. **Ja Morant to Trail Blazers (2026)** — 0% (0 votes · score 158/1000)
   Memphis traded their franchise cornerstone to Portland, ending a turbulent seven-year run and igniting NBA free-agency speculation about both teams' futures.

Tags: sports, basketball, players, nba