NBA Trade Deadline 2018: 5 greatest trade deadline deals ever

With the NBA’s Feb. 8 trade deadline looming, we’re here to take a look back at five of the greatest last-minute swaps in league history.

The trade deadline is the last real shot of a season for teams to add that missing piece to their roster. To put themselves over the top, go from pretenders to contenders, and set themselves up for the stretch run towards a potential NBA championship.

It’s also a chance for teams at the other end of the standings to start rebuilding. To unload an unhappy player, make cap room for the upcoming offseason, really lean into tanking for a top draft pick.

For these reasons, NBA trade deadline season is one of the most exciting times of the year for fans, organizations, and players looking for a new home. The right move can kickstart a championship run or an exciting rebuild. The wrong move can put a franchise on a path to disaster.

We’re here to talk about five of the greatest deadline moves in NBA history. We’re not talking great in terms of magnitude, or the number of players who changed teams, or even trades that turned out equally well for each team. We’re talking great in terms of impact. How did this trade affect the teams and players involved? How did it affect the league? How did it affect history?

Many of these trades are fairly recent, as the major blockbuster trade deadline deal has gained steam since the 90’s as a way for teams to sure up their rosters. As the league expanded, and the talent pool became spread out over a larger number of teams, the late-in-the-season move became a more viable strategy to add talent.

Let’s kick things off!