NBA Trade Deadline 2018: 5 greatest trade deadline deals ever

2. Cavaliers/Clippers (2011)

Cleveland Cavaliers get: Baron Davis and first-round pick (Kyrie Irving)

Los Angeles Clippers get: Mo Williams and Jamario Moon

The 2010-11 Los Angeles Clippers were looking to free up cap room for the future of their franchise. Baron Davis was still on the books for two more seasons and $28 million dollars. Moving the guard seemed to be the answer to the Clippers upcoming money issues, and help provide the cap flexibility they’d need to retain homegrown talents DeAndre Jordan and Eric Gordon. The price for taking on Davis’ salary was a first-round draft pick.

Clippers general manager Neil Olshey said at the time of the trade:

"“The drill is, as always, is ‘Is the player you’re getting back more valuable than the potential you could get in the draft? Our analysis at this point in February is that it was more valuable to get a 28-year-old All-Star point guard that we have for the next few years, cap flexibility to make sure we take care of business and re-sign DeAndre Jordan and have flexibility to take care of Eric Gordon as well, as opposed to speculating on another kid that’s 19 years old with one year of college experience.”"

He then added, “And I’m not that high on the draft to begin with this year.”

The first-round pick the Clippers gave up for Mo Williams and cap flexibility turned out to be the number one overall pick in the 2011 draft. The pick ended up being none other than Kyrie Irving.

This move set the table for the Cav’s rebuild, eventually culminating in LeBron James’ “I’m Coming Home” moment and the first major sports title for the city of Cleveland in over 50 years.

In terms of impact, this surely ranks up there with the greatest trade outcomes in history.

But it comes in just shy of number one.