8 Traded Draft Picks That Came Back to Haunt Teams

There aren't many things that a team can do that are riskier than trading draft picks. While doing so can help a team win at the moment, the possibility of missing out on a future star by sending the pick, even if it's a second round pick, to another team can harm the future success of the team. The moments on this list are exactly that. Now, this list only counts for picks traded before the actual draft, so the Charlotte Hornets trading Kobe Bryant won't be on this list. With that out of the way, these are 8 traded draft picks that came back to haunt teams.

Phoenix Suns Traded Away Ron Artest (1999)

The Phoenix Suns looked to be on the cusp of a championship run following the 1997-98 season. With a core of Rex Chapman, Antonio McDyess, and Jason Kidd, the team went an impressive 56-26, but a disappointing first-round exit in the playoffs made it clear they needed another piece to complete the puzzle. During an extended offseason thanks to a lockout, the Suns took advantage of Jerry Krause imploding the post-Michael Jordan Bulls and sent three players (including the record-holder for the quickest disqualification in NBA history Bubba Wells) and a 1999 first-round pick to Chicago for Luc Longley. Longley had won three NBA Championships with the Bulls and was coming off the best season of his career, with averages of 11.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and 46% field goal shooting. While the Suns did make the playoffs both years, they wouldn't make it past the Western Conference Semifinals.
To make matters worse, that traded pick would end up being used to select Ron Artest with the 16th pick. Artest would go on to play 17 seasons in the NBA and averaged 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 41% from the field and 34% from three-point range for his career. On top of that, Artest would make a single all-star appearance in 2004, was named to four All-Defensive teams (two 1st teams and two 2nd teams) and the All-NBA 3rd team once, won the Defensive Player of the Year in 2004, and won an NBA Championship with the Lakers in 2010. His list of accolades would probably be longer if it weren't for a certain...incident, but Artest still carved out a solid career the Suns probably regret missing out on.

New Jersey Nets Trade Away Damian Lillard & Draymond Green (2012)

The Nets are probably the only team in NBA history that can rival the Sacramento Kings in terms of being a total dumpster fire. The period that best showcases their massive dysfunction is the era of Billy King as general manager. King is responsible for some of the worst trades in league history as the Nets' GM, including the infamous trade that sent four first-round picks to the Celtics for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry. However, since none of those picks (James Young, Jaylen Brown, Markelle Fultz, and Collin Sexton) have become all-stars yet, I'm not discussing this trade. Instead, there are two other instances where King sent draft picks to other teams that turned into all-stars because Billy King was terrible at his job. The first was a trade during the 2010-11 season when the Nets sent a 2012 second-round pick (with Troy Murphy) to the Golden State Warriors for two players. The second happened the season when they sent the 2012 first round pick and two other players to the Portland Trail Blazers for Gerald Wallace. Those picks would go onto be the 6th and 35th picks in the draft, and Damian Lillard and Draymond Green would be selected.

Green has gone on to become one of the best second-round picks of the 2010s so far, currently holding career averages 9.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 45% from the field and 30% from three-point range and is arguably the best defensive player in the league right now. On top of that, Green is a three-time all-star, a two-time member of an All-NBA team (one 2nd and one 3rd) and a three-time member of the All-Defensive 1st team, the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year and league leader in steals, and a three-time NBA champion with the Warriors. Meanwhile, Damian Lillard has gone on to become one of the best point guards in the NBA today. Currently with career averages of 23.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 43% from the field and 37% from three-point range, Lillard is a former Rookie of the Year, a three-time all-star, and a three-time member of an All-NBA team (one of each.) Had Billy King not made these moves, the Nets might be one the better teams in the Eastern Conference right now.

Cleveland Cavaliers Traded Away Detlef Schrempf (1985)

The Cleveland Cavaliers were still a relatively new team during the 1980-81 season. In their 11 years as a team at the team, the Cavs had seen their fair shares of ups and downs. This season was certainly a down, as they went 28-54. But hey, at least they would get a good pick, right? Wrong. You see, before Billy King destroyed the Nets future by sending a bunch of first-round picks away, there was the infamous Ted Stepien, the former owner of the Cavaliers who was dead set on winning at the moment. So much so that he traded four future first-round picks in just this season (all of them to the Dallas Mavericks). He was such a bad owner that the NBA froze Cleveland's trading rights at one point and created "the Stepien Rule" to prevent teams from trading consecutive first-round picks. Three of those picks turned into Sam Perkins, Derek Harper, and Roy Tarpley, all solid players, but the biggest gut punch was their 1985 pick. The Cavs sent that pick and Chad Kinch to the Mavericks for Geoff Huston and a 3rd round pick (back when that existed) midway through the season. Four years later, the Mavericks used that pick (the 8th pick in the draft) to select Detlef Schrempf.
Detlef Schrempf would go on to play 16 seasons in the NBA with four different teams, during which he established himself as one of the more underrated players of the 90s. Schrempf holds career averages of 13.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 49% from the field, 38% from three-point range, and 80% from the free throw line. Along with that, Schrempf was a three-time all-star, a two-time Sixth Man of the Year winner, and a member of the All-NBA 3rd team in 1995. And that's not even mentioning that he's one of Pawnee's most beloved celebrities. Considering how the players they got in the trade were either just decent (Huston) or didn't play at all (Larry Anderson, the 3rd round pick), the Cavaliers probably regret trading away the pick that could've landed them a future all-star and multi-time Sixth Man of the Year.

Philidelphia 76ers Traded Away Shawn Kemp (1989)

The Philidelphia 76ers were four years removed from their latest NBA Championship win before the 1886-87 season but had still been in contention for the title in the years leading up for the most part. Along with Julius Erving (in what would end up being his final season), the Sixers had a young Charles Barkley and Maurice Cheeks, both of whom would make the all-star team with Erving and hopefully lead the team back to the finals. Looking to strength their supporting cast, the team sent their 1989 first round pick and Clemon Johnson to the Seattle SuperSonics for Tim McCormick and Danny Vranes. Unfortunately, the additions couldn't make up for the loss of all-star center Moses Malone, as the 76ers went 45-37 on the season and suffered a first-round exit in the playoffs.
To make matters worse, that first-round pick ended up being the 17th pick in the 1989 draft, which the Sonics would use to select Shawn Kemp. Kemp would go on to play 14 seasons in the NBA with four different teams between 1989 and 2003 and was one of the more dominant players of the 90s. Kemp holds career averages 14.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 49% from the field. On top of that, Kemp is also a six-time all-star and a three-time member of the All-NBA 2nd team. Kemp, along with the likes of Gary Payton & Detlef Schrempf, led the Sonics to one of their most successful periods, making the playoffs in seven of Kemp's eight seasons with the team. Considering the slump the 76ers would fall into in the years after 1989, the Sixers definitely should have held onto that pick.

New York Knicks Traded Away Scottie Pippen (1987)

The New York Knicks were one of the more inconsistent teams of the 70s and early 80s before falling into a slump in the mid-80s. After a decade of falling in and out of playoff contention, the Knicks had just gone two seasons in a row where they won under 25 games. While their poor play did land them their future franchise player and Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing, they clearly needed more if they wanted to get back to title contention. That being said, their decision to send their 1987 first-round pick (along with a second-round pick) to the Seattle SuperSonics for the Milwaukee Bucks' 1987 first-round pick and Gerald Henderson was very risky, as the Bucks had made the Eastern Conference Finals last year and would likely be competing for the title again. It backfired big time, as the Bucks went 50-32 on the year while the Knicks went 24-58. This gave the Sonics the 5th pick in the draft while the Knicks got the 18th pick, and while they did get future all-star and Rookie of the Year Mark Jackson with that pick, they probably would've liked who the Sonics were able to get with the 5th pick...Scottie Pippen.

Pippen would go on to play 17 seasons in the league with three different teams and has gone down as one of the best small forwards to ever play the game. Pippen ended his career with averages of 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2 steals per game while shooting 47% from the field and 33% from three-point range. On top of that, Pippen is a seven-time all-star, a three-time member of the All-NBA 1st team, an eight-time member of the All-Defensive 1st team, lead the league in steals in 1995, was a six-time NBA Champion (all of them won with the Chicago Bulls) and a member of the Hall of Fame. Pippen was a key player for the Bulls in the 90s, as he played the perfect Robin to Michael Jordan's Batman and helped the Bulls pull off six title wins and two three-peats in eight years. The only upside for the Knicks was that the Sonics also made the mistake of trading Pippen, as they sent him to Chicago for Olden Polynice.

Los Angeles Clippers Trade Away Kyrie Irving (2011)

The Cleveland Cavaliers were an absolute mess during the 2010-11 season. In their first season after LeBron James made his infamous decision to take his talents to South Beach, the Cavs went an abysmal 19-63 on the year, which included a then-record 26-game losing streak. Things were looking bleak for the Cavs, but a shining beacon of hope came along in the form of the Los Angeles Clippers, who gave them a first-round pick and Baron Davis for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon. The Clippers like made the move to get rid Davis' $13 million contract, and since their 32-50 record wasn't nearly bad enough to get them good odds at the #1 pick, it didn't seem like too bad a move. However, luck was on Cleveland's side, as the lottery gave them the #1 pick in the draft, which they used to select Kyrie Irving.

In just seven years in the league, Kyrie Irving has created quite the resume for himself and has become on the of the top point guards in the league today. Currently holding career averages of 22 points, 5.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 46% from the field, 39% from three-point range, and 88% from the free throw line. On top of that, Irving is a five-time all-star, the 2012 Rookie of the Year, a member of the All-NBA 3rd team, and won an NBA Championship in 2016 with the Cavaliers. Irving was a huge part of the Cavaliers' championship runs between 2014 and 2017 and, along with LeBron James and Kevin Love, led the Cavaliers to one of their most successful periods in franchise history. It wasn't all bad for the Clippers, as they did land Chris Paul in a trade that same offseason, but had they not landed CP3, this move would have been a disaster.

New Orleans Jazz Traded Away Alex English (1976)

When the New Orleans Jazz joined the NBA in 1974, it went...about as well it normally goes for an expansion team, going 23-59 on the year. On the bright side, they did have an all-time great on their roster in Pete Maravich, but they had pretty much given up their entire future in order to land him. Before their inaugural season, the Jazz sent traded their first round picks in 1974 & 1975, their second-round picks in 1975 & 1976, and their 1980 third round pick. Along with that, the Jazz ended up trading away their 1976 first round pick and three other players to the Phoenix Suns for Neal Walk and a 1975 second-round pick. Needless to say, if Maravich didn't lead the team to success, then they basically destroyed their future, which he didn't do and they did get rid of their future, as they wouldn't make a playoff appearance until 1984. Among the draft picks the team sent away, the two that ended up hurting them the most were both of their picks in 1976, which became 6th pick Adrian Dantley and 23rd pick Alex English. 

While Dantley would actually play out his prime with the Jazz between 1979 and 1986, the team would miss out on one of the best players of the 80s. English would play in the league for 15 seasons with four different teams between 1976 and 1991. During that time, English averaged 21.5 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 51% from the field and 83% from the free throw line. On top of that, English was an eight-time all-star, a three-time member of the All-Defensive 2nd team, the 1983 scoring champion, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Spending a decade with the Denver Nuggets, English played his best basketball and while the team never won any titles, they still made the playoffs eight of those ten seasons. While trading English's pick did get them Maravich, missing out on English probably hurt still.

New Orleans Jazz Traded Away Magic Johnson (1979)

Man, the Jazz really had no idea how to build a team. Two years after making the moves that cost them Adrian Dantley and Alex English, the Jazz had been able to secure a 38-44 record on the season but still missed out on the playoffs. Looking for another piece that could hopefully complete the puzzle and lead them to the postseason, they went for a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. Because of the rules at the time, in order to get Gail Goodrich, the Jazz had to send the 1977, 1978, and 1979 first round picks and a 1980 second-round pick to Los Angeles as compensation, with an additional 1977 second-round pick and a 1978 first round pick given to them as well from the Lakers. While Goodrich had three solid years with the Jazz, one of the picks they gave up ended up becoming a player that, had the Jazz not traded the pick, would have altered the course of NBA history. In 1979, the Lakers got the 1st overall pick thanks to the now Utah Jazz posting a 26-56 record on the year. That pick allowed them to select Magic Johnson.
Johnson would play a total of 13 non-consecutive seasons in the NBA (he took four years off between 1991 and 1995 after being diagnosed with HIV before returning to the Lakers) and has gone down as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. For his career, Johnson averaged 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 11.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 50% from the field, 30% from three-point range, and 85% from the free throw line. Along the way, Johnson was a 12-time all-star, a nine-time member of the All-NBA 1st team, a four-time assists leader, a two-time steals leader, a three-time MVP, a five-time NBA Champion, a three-time Finals MVP, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Johnson was a huge part of the massive success that was the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers. And to think, the Lakers would have missed out on one of the greatest players ever had the Jazz not wanted Gail Goodrich.

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