20 worst NBA Draft trades ever
By John Buhler
10. Antonio McDyess from Denver Nuggets to New York Knicks
Before injuries limited his playing ability, power forward Antonio McDyess was a dynamic player for the Denver Nuggets. He spent six of his first seven years in the NBA with Denver after being the No. 2 overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft out of Alabama.
After losing Dikembe Mutombo to the Atlanta Hawks, McDyess was the face of a decent Nuggets franchise. He was the type of player that could merit a lot in return in a blockbuster trade. So in 2002, McDyess was traded from Denver to the New York Knicks for Marcus Camby, Mark Jackson, and Nene’s draft rights.
This trade came after a season in 2001-02 where McDyess tore his patella tendon and played in only 10 games. He missed all the 2002-03 season with the Knicks and only played in 18 games in 2003-04 before he signed with the Detroit Pistons in unrestricted free agency.
Given that McDyess, Camby, Jackson, and Nene all have comparable primes as near All-Star caliber players, just one player for McDyess would have been worth the draft day deal. To trade three solid role players for a guy that played 18 games over the course of two seasons while he was already out for the year with a fractured knee is a type of trade that only the James Dolan led Knicks would make. Unbelievable!
Next: 9. Pau Gasol from Atlanta Hawks to Memphis Grizzlies.