NBA Teams with Transfer Regrets

The NBA draft – one of the most highly anticipated events in the basketball sporting calendar – is also a time of great uncertainty. Legendary teams are pinning their hopes on up-and-coming players, with no guarantee that these signings will pay dividends. Many new players don't show their full potential until they've fully settled in with their team, but some teams simply lose patience and trade these players too early. Would you believe that the now talented Kobe Bryant was one of these players who was traded within days of being signed in 1996. That's right! Kobe Bryant was originally drafted to the Charlotte Hornets, but within days was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac - now that is a decision the Charlotte Hornets definitely regretted!

NBA teams routinely trade players who then go on to perform exceptionally well with their new teams. There is nothing unusual about trading players, since if they're good enough for the NBA, chances are they're going to perform regardless. Trading also takes place after contracts have expired and we’re going to take a look at some puzzling decisions there too. In this write-up, we going to focus on those transfer regrets that would have changed the course of history for NBA teams, given the star power, superior performance, and the legendary appeal of the transferred players. The erstwhile Kobe Bryant will always be one of the greatest-ever players to have graced the hardwood of the NBA. Basketball fans will sing his praises for many years to come, and rightly so.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe was the 13th overall draft pick for the Charlotte Hornets back in 1996. What is stunning about this draft pick is that Bryant was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac, the center.  Kobe Bryant's celebrated career is truly legendary. He was an 18-time All-Star champion, and was also responsible for helping his team win 5 X NBA championships. He won 4 X NBA All-Star Game MVP awards, and many other awards such as 2 X NBA Scoring Champion awards, the 2008 Overall League MVP award, and more. As a Hall of Famer, Bryant truly is one of those once-in-a-lifetime superstars. No doubt the Charlotte Hornets regret this transfer.

T. J. Warren

The Phoenix Suns made some dodgy decisions which hamstrung their ability to rebuild their team over the years. When they traded T. J. Warren, they lost their ability to develop a talented 3-point shooter. To make things worse, the 26-year-old was traded for salary relief and a string of second-round selections. This doesn't make much sense for the Phoenix Suns, and T. J. Warren is probably a lot happier with the Indiana Pacers – his new team since 2019/2020. He has featured in 61 games for the team, played 32.5 minutes per game and averaged a healthy 18.7 points per game. Not too bad for a guy that got dropped by his team of 5 seasons.

Michael Jordan

We can't say enough about Michael Jordan, and rightly so. Would you believe that the Portland Trail Blazers picked Sam Bowie ahead of Michael Jordan in the 1984 draft, in round 1? The first player to be picked was Akeem Olajuwon, from Nigeria, by the Houston Rockets. Sam Bowie was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers, and Michael Jordan was picked by the Chicago Bulls. Believe it or not, Sam Bowie actually admitted to concealing his leg injury to the Portland Trail Blazers in a 2012 documentary. At the time (1984), the Portland coach, Jack Ramsay had this to say about passing up on Jordan, ‘… That isn't to say that we don't like Michael Jordan. You won't find anybody saying that; it's just that we more desperately needed a center.’ That's the way the cookie crumbles!

Otto Porter Jr.

The Washington Wizards traded Otto Porter Jr in 2019 – #3 pick to the Chicago Bulls. Who did they get in return? A second-round pick, Jabari Parker, and Bobby Portis. What makes this trade particularly devastating for the Wizards is that Portis became a free agent a few months later, and Jabari Parker is hardly all he's cracked up to be. The Washington Wizards certainly didn't benefit from this trade. Otto Porter Jr a.k.a. Bubba, now plays for the Chicago Bulls, and his 2019/2020 season includes 14 games, 11.9 points on average per game, 3.4 TRB, and 1.8 AST. He has been with the Chicago Bulls since 2018/2019. He was a first round selection, third pick and #3 overall in the 2013 NBA draft. Bet the Washington wizards are ruing the day they let him go.

Scottie Pippen

Scottie Pippen is another one of those legendary NBA players. His name is synonymous with excellence on the court, and he has an impeccable reputation to boot. Back in 1987, on draft day, the Seattle Supersonics picked a defensive small forward by the name of Scottie Pippen. True to form, the Supersonics desperately needed a center for their team, so it wasn't surprising that they were prepared to trade up for Olden Polynice. Unfortunately, for Seattle, there simply was no comparison between Scottie Pippen and Olden Polynice as the stats indicate. But there's more to the story. The LA Clippers picked Reggie Williams ahead of Scottie Pippen back on draft day. Scotty was the #5 pick back in 1987 – that was a bum deal.

John Wall

The Washington Wizards certainly placed tremendous value on John Wall. He was deemed a prized asset, and he came with a hefty price tag of $170 million. All that money would have been well spent had Wall been on court performing for his team. Sadly, he has hardly featured at all since his contract was extended. Thanks to a torn Achilles tendon, the Wizards announced that Wall likely wouldn't play in the 2020 season either. The Achilles tendon surgery requires a lengthy rehabilitation period, and the point guard was expected to stage a long-term recovery after an infection developed in the incision site. This makes him impossible to trade, and an expensive prospect for the Washington Wizards too!

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*Photo courtesy of Nick Wass  and AP