2025 NBA Draft: Will Spurs, 76ers trade down from top 3? It’s a rare m
Trading down from a top-three pick is a rare move in the NBA Draft. You almost never see it. Why would you? Rookie-scale contracts are the best deals in basketball, and the higher a team picks, the better its odds historically of landing a franchise changer. Most GMs would rather get fired swinging for a future All-Star than risk sliding down the board and watching the guy they passed on torch them for the next decade.
McHale and Parish for Joe Barry Carroll. Webber for Penny. Fultz for Tatum. Luka for Trae. These are the kinds of trades that have shaped eras.
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Since 1980, only 10 teams with a top-three pick have traded down and stayed within the lottery. That’s 10 out of 135 chances over 45 drafts. Here they are:
1980: Celtics trade No. 1 to Warriors
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Warriors picked Joe Barry Carroll
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Celtics moved down to third, drafted Kevin McHale and also got Robert Parish in one of the biggest heists in NBA history
1988: Sixers trade No. 3 to Clippers
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Clippers picked Charles Smith
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Sixers moved to sixth, took Hersey Hawkins, plus a 1989 first (Kenny Payne); Payne didn’t pan out, but Hawkins became an All-Star in Philly
(James Pawelczyk/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
1993: Magic trade No. 1 to Warriors
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Warriors took Chris Webber, who left Golden State after one season
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Magic dropped to third, took Penny Hardaway and three future firsts, which included a pick that eventually became Vince Carter (though Orlando had already traded it away); still, Orlando won the trade considering the playoff success of Shaq and Penny
1997: Sixers trade No. 2 to Nets
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Nets picked Keith Van Horn and also acquired Lucious Harris, giving them two key pieces that helped push the Nets to the Finals a few years later
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Sixers got the seventh pick, which ended up being Tim Thomas, plus the 21st pick (Anthony Parker), and a journeyman scorer (Jim Jackson)
2004: Clippers trade No. 2 to Bobcats
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Bobcats picked Emeka Okafor, who gave them the clear win in the deal
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Clips dropped to fourth (Shaun Livingston) and got…
