The Biggest Trades In NBA History

To get Steve Francis, the Rockets were willing to trade roughly a third of their roster and make the biggest trade in NBA history.

On 8/27/13, the Vancouver Grizzlies, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic completed a three-team, 11 player deal.

(Related – Worst Trades In NBA History)

At the center of the deal was Steve Francis aka “Stevie Franchise.” Living up to his nickname, almost an entire NBA squad was traded to make room for his arrival in Houston.

The Vancouver Grizzlies traded the rights to G Steve Francis and F Tony Massenburg to the Houston Rockets for G Michael Dickerson, F-C Othella Harrington, F Antoine Carr (The Original Big Dog), G Brent Price, Houston’s first-round draft pick in 2000, 2001 or 2002, and the Orlando Magic’s 2000 second-round draft pick.

Orlando traded F Don MacLean to Houston, and received G Lee Mayberry, F Makhtar Ndiaye, G Rodrick Rhodes and F Michael Smith from Vancouver.

Francis went on to become the NBA Rookie of the Year and made three consecutive all-star teams from 2002-2004.

A year later the 11 player trade was eclipsed in size as 12 players were dealt in a deal involving the Knicks, Lakers and Supersonics on September 20th of 2000.

The Knicks acquired F Glen Rice, C Travis Knight and a first-round pick from the Lakers and C Vladimir Stepania, F Lazaro Borrell, G Vernon Maxwell, a first-round pick and two second round picks from Seattle in a four-team trade that sent C Patrick Ewing to Seattle; Los Angeles Lakers acquired F Horace Grant and F Chuck Person, C Greg Foster and G Emanual Davis from Seattle; The Suns acquired C Chris Dudley and a first-round pick from New York for C Luc Longley.

The largest trade ever occurred on August 2nd of 2005 and involved 13 players and five teams.

The Heat acquired F Antoine Walker from the Celtics and G Jason Williams, F James Posey and G Andre Emmett from the Grizzlies and the draft rights to C Roberto Duenas from the Hornets in a five-team trade that sent G-F Eddie Jones to Memphis, F Rasual Butler to New Orleans, a 2006 second-round draft pick, a conditional second-round draft pick, F Qyntel Woods and the draft rights to Albert Miralles to Boston; The Jazz acquired C Greg Ostertag from Memphis; Boston acquired C Curtis Borchardt from Utah and G Raul Lopez from Memphis; New Orleans acquired G Kirk Snyder from Utah.

Strangely, Antoine Carr was involved in two of the three largest trades in NBA history. There’s some trivia to stump your friends with, playa.

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