20 worst NBA Draft trades ever

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DALLAS, UNITED STATES: Dirk Nowitzki (L) of the Dallas Mavericks works towards the basket as Bryon Russell (R) of the Utah Jazz defends during first half action at Reunion Arena 09 February in Dallas, Texas. AFP PHOTO/Paul BUCK (Photo credit should read PAUL BUCK/AFP/Getty Images) /

6. Dirk Nowitzki from Milwaukee Bucks to Dallas Mavericks

Dirk Nowitzki is in the last few seasons of his illustrious NBA career. He’ll go down as the greatest European player the NBA has ever seen. He won the 2007 NBA MVP and the 2011 NBA Finals MVP. He’s one of the greatest jump shooters in NBA history.

While he will only play for the Dallas Mavericks, he almost was a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. Nowitzki went No. 9 in the 1998 NBA Draft to Milwaukee, but general manager Donnie Nelson believed that his father in head coach Don Nelson needed Nowitzki in Dallas.

The younger Nelson traded for Nowitzki by sending the Bucks the draft rights to Robert Traylor. Traylor never lived up to the hype and Nowitzki went on to become one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

Dallas got its NBA Championship in 2011. Milwaukee is still waiting for its first since the Lew Alcindor/Oscar Robertson team in the early 1970s. No doubt that had Nowitzki been with the Bucks that Milwaukee would have brought home an NBA Championship to Wisconsin with him as their star power forward.

Next: 5. Scottie Pippen from Seattle SuperSonics to Chicago Bulls.

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