Orlando Magic’s acquisition of Desmond Bain shocked the basketball world with its massive price tags.
Orlando surrendered four times with first pick, one pix swap, Kentavia Scaldwell Pope and Sharpshooter Cole Anthony.
Megatrade sparked a heated debate across the NBA community. Bane addresses Orlando’s desperate need for boundary firing, but many have questioned whether non-star players would need such a huge package.
Baindeal is not unprecedented in a league that has been obsessed with today’s draft. NBA history reveals several blockbuster deals that have mortgaged the future of players that weren’t considered superstars at the time.
The five biggest NBA deals, including the first round pick ahead of Desmond Bain’s blockbuster, show how the market has evolved in recent years.
This blockbuster helped Oklahoma City rebuild the SGA and accumulate a massive draft capital, eventually leading them to the NBA Finals and their first championship of the season.
Meanwhile, Paul George’s arrival in Los Angeles failed to deliver the title, despite combining him with Kawi Leonard. The Clippers’ deepest playoff runs reached the 2021 conference finals only.
- New York Knicks received: Mikal Bridges, Keita Bates Diop, 2026 Second Rounder
- Brooklyn net received: 5 first round picks, 1 pix swap, 1 second round pick, Bojumbo Gdanovic
Bridge provided critical defense, shooting and chemistry, but this trade put a lot of pressure on New York’s championship window.
The deal was short in the Eastern Conference Finals this season, but it launched the Knicks into Win-Now mode. Brooklyn went into full rebuild mode with significant draft capital, using the bridge loss.
The trade began the reconstruction era in Utah and ended the partnership of Goat Donovan Mitchell, who regularly reached the playoffs.
Minnesota demonstrated their commitment to supporting Anthony Edwards with proven talent, but their playoff runs have consistently concluded in the conference finals of the past two seasons.
- Brooklyn Net received: James Harden
- Houston Rockets received: Rodions Crooks, Dante Exam, four first round picks, four pix swaps
- Received Indiana Pacers: Charis Levers, two second rounders
- Cleveland Cavaliers received: Taurean Prince, Jarrett Allen
The four-team blockbuster has successfully reconfigured Houston, revealed in a second-place regular-season finish behind Young Corner Tones’ Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and Jabarismith Jr.
Brooklyn’s attempts to create a super team with Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving collapsed due to injuries and there was no championship.
- Phoenix Suns received: Kevin Durant, TJ Warren
- Received Brooklyn Net: Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Juan Pablo Volette, 4 first round picks, 2 second round picks, 1 pix swap
- Milwaukee Bucks received: Je Crowder
- Received Indiana Pacers: George Hill, Serju Ibaka, Jordan N’Wara, 3rd round 2nd round pick, cash considerations
This megatrade created another Phoenix super team alongside Devin Booker and Bradley Beale, but they couldn’t become playoff contenders, and this year is probably last year.
For Brooklyn, this marked the end of their super team’s experiment and the beginning of their rebuilding, and the picks that were acquired after the subsequent bridge’s deal with New York were even more valuable.
