NBA Trade Deadline 2018: 5 greatest trade deadline deals ever

3. Lakers/Grizzlies (2008)

Los Angeles Lakers get: Pau Gasol and Devin Ebanks (draft pick)

Memphis Grizzlies get: Kwame Brown, Marc Gasol, Javaris Crittenton, Donte Greene (draft pick) and Greivis Vasquez (draft pick)

The previous entry in our list helped put an end to one Lakers dynasty. This trade helped bring the purple-and-gold back to the top of the league again just a few years later.

At the time of this trade, it was viewed as a one-sided, clear victory for the Los Angeles Lakers. In reality, it helped both franchises as the Lakers went on to win two championships with Pau playing second-in-command to Kobe, and helped Memphis establish their “Grit-n-grind” mentality with Marc as a franchise centerpiece.

In terms of greatness, this trade affected the results of multiple NBA Championships, the legacy of Kobe Bryant as one of the greatest players to ever hit the court, and the family dynamics of a couple of fun-loving-boat-guys from Spain.

Older brother Pau spent six full seasons in Los Angeles, winning back-to-back titles in 2008-09 and 2009-10, after losing in the Finals his first partial season with the Lakers. He cemented his status as a great player on a great team, as he put up similar stats as a member of the championship-level Lakers as he had previously with Memphis, a team that never made it past the opening round of the playoffs in his seven years with the team.

Younger brother Marc took a few years to develop, but since he came into his own has shined as one of the best defensive centers in the league. Along with Zach Randolph and Tony Allen he helped the Griz establish their Grit N Grind persona playing a hard-knocks, defensive-focused brand of basketball. Memphis has been a playoff mainstay every season since 2010-11, although that streak seems destined to come to an end this year.