Anyone got a view on the worst trade RETROSPECTIVELY that actually looked like a steal for the team that, retrospectively, has lost out big time? ie...a trade that looked a clear winner for one side, but has proven to be a clear winner the other way with time. The one that comes to mind is the Grant Hill trade. When Hill walked out on Detroit, claiming they were going nowhere, it looked like that franchise was dead and buried for the foreseeable future. Orlando threw away players to balance the trade monetarily...including throwing in Ben Wallace. Two years later and Wallace is leading a Detroit team in the play offs...and possibly even to the NBA Finals. Two years later and Orlando are going nowhere without a big man...and Grant Hill has hardly played a game. What's more, his contract and injuries may combine to render them a perennial "first round and out type team". If that deal never goes through...maybe they couldn't have got O'Grady as he seemed to be swayed by the chance to play with Hill. Imagine if Wallace was kept however...Orlando would be the team coming out of the East. Any others? The Kidd trade from Dallas looked to be that franchises death siren.. Retrospectively, they probably won that trade however. They got Nash and Finley and began to build into a powerhouse...
Not 100 % sure, but I think they got Cassell (among others) for Kidd. Nash was actually Kidd's backup in Phoenix for a while if I am not mistaken. I agree on the Wallace/Hill trade. But I think it was Orlando's mistake to trade Bo Outlaw away. He could make a difference for them right now.
Well, I am not sure about all time, but the Shariff Abdur Rahim trade for the #3 pick (which turned into Pau Gasol) seemed like an absolute steal for Atlanta. Turns out, the Hawks didn't have a much better record than us, and Pau looks like a true superstar in the making.
Pau did not make them better. So, he is just merely a Shareef in the making? No???? imo, it was Red Auerbach embarrassing Dick Vitale (Detroit) by talking them into giving the Celtics two #1 picks in the following draft for Bob McAdoo. Then, Vitale finishes last and Red flips those two picks by then embarrassing Golden State into trading them his two picks for Robert Parish and their #3 (resulting in Kevin McHale). Red gave candy to two kiddies and stole their savings bonds. get this:
As a Magic fan, I must say that watching Ben Wallace do what he is doing in Detroit is painful. And, last season when Troy Hudson was struggling, I wished Chucky Atkins were back in the lineup. Yet, I saw Grant Hill in one of his 4 games that season and knew that once he was healthy, the deal would be well worth it. I'm still waiting, and as of now Detroit is looking good - even if they "overpaid" Atkins and Wallace - but I feel that next season we'll see that the Magic knew what they were doing...just a couple of years late. And the Outlaw for Buechler deal was about getting Duncan here in 2003; Outlaw had a pretty bad season this year and while the Magic could've used him, he wasn't doing much here and was only going to hurt the cap. At least Jud Buechler comes off of the cap next summer.
Only if you are presupposing that he will NEVER make them better. I think Pau was most obviously the best rookie this season, and one who shows the most promise at this point. To suppose that he will have a career similar to SAR is assuming a lot. You know, crispee, players DO get better with age, generally.
yeah, this trade at first looked like a steal for ATL but already its looking in the grizz favor. soon itll be a steal for them. atlanta trading their first this year hurts. but the king trade that fits this thread is the grant hill trade. at first it looked like an absolute raping of the pistons due to grant hills decision to leave. the pistons were screwed and had to accept whatever orlando had. now its a complete and utter steal for detroit. amazing. hill is wasting space on orlandos bench and wallace is the most wanted player in the league...DPY...pistons win the central?! wow.
yes, so how long before Pau becomes a perennial 20/10 guy like Shareef. I like Pau...but dude has done nothing for that team. So, you must categorize him just like Shareef, for now.
Why? Because you SAY he must be categorized that way? Screw that. I judge players based on a little more than that. Based on what I have seen, I am quite certain Gasol can become a player that does more for his team than get 20/10 while the team has a terrible record. So I say, NO, I don't have to categorize him like that. He is a superstar in the waiting, I think, and I am quite confident he will end up better than SAR, hence the Grizz winning the trade. By your logic, half the players in the league are categorized as SAR. I choose to be a little more specific.
Raven...that's cool. I happen to agree. I just didn't like that you said Shareef has done nothing, when Pau really hasn't either. I was just being true to the title of the thread. Your point shows nothing about a "blockbuster retrospectively" yet. You are making a judgement call. Which is fine, but the logic didn't fit the title.
Yeah, you are right, HP. I just wanted to have some input. My knowledge of the history of the game is not that great, and my memory of the years I have watched basketball is not so great either. So I knew I wouldn't be able to think of a valid example...but I do indeed think that Gasol will be something amazing. And I happen to know a certain Spain resident that agrees with me...
mfclark do you ever think you'll get the real Grant Hill back? those kind of injuries...and that amount of time off...normally result in a shadow of the former player (at best) returning. I doubt he'll have any power or explosiveness. Look at Penny... I hope I'm wrong. It's always sad to see a career ruined by injuries
Recently - Antawn Jamison/Vince Carter Chris Webber/Anfernee Hardeway Rod Strickland/Rasheed Wallace Chris Webber/Mitch Richmond Jason Kidd/Starrbury T Brandon/Starrbury Sam Cassell-Robert Horry/Barkley Pippen/Walt Williams and junk Steve Nash/nothing PJ Brown/Eddie Jones more to come.
I can always hope. If he's not fully healthy - and heck, these days, the way they can rebuild bone and ligaments, he could be better than before - he still has the attitude a full 180 degrees from Penny. That alone is worth a lot more in intangibles. Even if he has no power to explode, he can still work in the low post and at the very least, he could be like Steve Smith - not a bad player in his own right after some injury problems. But with an ankle injury myself and seeing others come back from it, I have hope. At the very least, I think Hill will prove himself. But, keeping Outlaw over Wallace has really hurt the Magic.
Pasox...great list! I'd forgotten some of those. Rod Strickland and Mitch Ritchmond all up cost Washington Rasheed AND Cwebb. OUCH MFCLARK...been there myself with an ankle injury. I had all the ligamenets ripped off playing soccer. Over five years later and I still don't have 100% in the ankle. Even if I take a minor kick on the area it happened etc playing now (for my work team...just for fun) it hurts for a few days and feels weak. The physio told me when it happened that a broken bone was MUCH better for recovery than ligaments...
Can you explain some of these. In particular, are you saying the Barkley trade looked to be in Phoenix's favor at first or Houston's? I think most people thought Barkley was expensive but worth it -- not exactly a rip off -- while a vocal minority (including myself) thought we lost out.
yeah Pasox, I thought the question was a trade that favored one team on the day of the trade, but it actually went strong in the other way. It's tough, because you have to remember what the pundits were saying.
heypartner, Good call on that McHale\Parrish deal. WOW!! Makes you look at Vitale differently, don't it. And I guess the GS Warriors have a legacy of, um, .....'QUESTIONABLE' personnel decisions. (Dedicated to Swopa )
