20 worst NBA Draft trades ever

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Feb 13, 2011; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen (front) is congratulated by forward Kevin Garnett after being presented the ball commemorating his becoming the NBA all time 3-point leader before the game against the Miami Heat at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE /

13. Ray Allen from Minnesota Timberwolves to Milwaukee Bucks

During his entire first stint with the Timberwolves, Kevin Garnett was continuously frustrated with not having the elite star player to play alongside him in Minnesota. Though players like Sam Cassell, Wally Szczerbiak, and Latrell Sprewell were solid complimentary players, Garnett could have had his ideal partner as early as 1996.

In the 1996 NBA Draft, the Timberwolves selected Connecticut shooting guard Ray Allen No. 5 overall. Allen and Garnett would later join Paul Pierce’s 2007-08 Boston Celtics and finally win that elusive NBA Championship.

Instead of pairing Allen and Garnett in 1996, the Timberwolves traded Allen’s draft rights to the Milwaukee Bucks for the draft rights to Georgia Tech point guard Stephon Marbury. Marbury was sensationally talented, but was often painfully difficult to build a reliable offense on. He would leave Minnesota very early in his career for the Phoenix Suns.

Had the Timberwolves had Allen and Garnett together in the mid-1990s, perhaps the Twin Cities would have already won a few NBA Championships. Allen was great in all four of his NBA stops (Milwaukee, Seattle, Boston, and Miami), but one has to wonder what could have been had he stayed in Minnesota.

Next: 12. Kevin Love from Memphis Grizzlies to Minnesota Timberwolves.

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