Trades happen all the time in sports, it’s nothing new. But there are certain ones where a fan remembers exactly where they were or what they were doing when they heard the news. In many cases, the deals lead to long-term success.
In case you missed it, NBA superstar Luka Doncic was shockingly traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week. It was one of the most historic deals in league history. In honor of that, we take a look at the 10 biggest trades in sports history.
10. Brett Favre traded to the Green Bay Packers in 1992
The Packers took a swing and hit a home run in 1992 by acquiring a young quarterback from the Atlanta Falcons who eventually became a hall of famer. His name is Brett Favre. The Falcons drafted Favre the year prior in 1991 and after one season, their head coach Jerry Glanville had enough of the Favre experience.
Green Bay traded a first-round pick in the 1992 draft for Favre and the rest is history. Favre won three straight MVP awards from 1994-96 with the Packers and a Super Bowl in ‘96. He would play in Green Bay for 17 years and began a legendary run of quarterback excellence in Titletown. That is why it lands on our list of biggest trades in sports history.
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9. Herschel Walker traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 1989
In 1989, the Dallas Cowboys were in the process of rebuilding under new owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jimmy Johnson. They went 1-15, but they made a seismic trade in October of that season to quickly set themselves up in the future.
Dallas traded star running back Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for eight total draft picks, including three first-round and three second-round picks. Here were some of the notable players the Cowboys were able to draft using the picks: Running back Emmitt Smith, linebacker Kevin Smith, safety Darren Woodson, and defensive tackle Russell Maryland.
The Cowboys would later establish a dynasty in the early 1990s, winning three Super Bowls in four years. That is why it makes our list of the biggest trades in sports history
8. Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns in 2023
NBA superstar Kevin Durant has gone from coast to coast over the last three years. Literally. After spending three years with the Golden State Warriors from 2017-19, he left there to sign with the Brooklyn Nets in free agency to join forces with Kyrie Irving.
Unfortunately his time in New York disappointed. Durant eventually grew frustrated and wanted out of Brooklyn. In the middle of the 2022-23 season, Durant was traded from the Nets to the Phoenix Suns for four first-round draft picks and three players: Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and Jae Crowder.
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7. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975
On June 16, 1975, the Los Angeles Lakers made one of the biggest trades in NBA history acquiring a future hall-of-fame big man Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He won a championship with the Bucks in 1971 and appeared in another NBA Finals with them in 1973. However, Abdul-Jabbar had a desire to play in a big market like Los Angeles or New York as opposed to being in Milwaukee, where he was drafted.
Milwaukee fulfilled his trade request and got the deal done. Abdul-Jabbar was sent to the Lakers in exchange for four players: Brian Winters, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith, and Junior Bridgeman. Four years later, the Lakers drafted Magic Johnson and the rest is history as the duo would win five NBA championships together in the 1980s. Forming one of the greatest dynasties of all time.
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6. Babe Ruth traded to the New York Yankees in 1920
Bath Ruth was a legendary baseball player and his resumé speaks for itself: 714 career home runs and a Hall of Famer. What people forget is that he was originally part of the Boston Red Sox, until he was traded on January 5, 1920.
Ruth was traded to arch-rivals New York Yankees for the mere price of $100,000. Payable in four installments of $25,000 a year. As part of the trade agreement between the Yankees and Red Sox, Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert loaned $300,000 to Frazee and the Yankees took out a mortgage on Fenway Park. Ruth became a Yankee and never looked back.
5. Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020
In a season that was anything but regular for baseball in 2020, there was one major move that shook up the league before the shortened COVID/lockout season began. In a three-team trade involving the Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, and Los Angeles Dodgers, right fielder Mookie Betts and starting pitcher David Price were traded from the Boston Red Sox to Los Angeles.
Price and Betts were key pieces in helping the Dodgers win the World Series in 2020, as Los Angeles had the best record in baseball during the 60-game season with a record of 43-17 and cruised through the postseason with a record of 13-5, winning their first championship since 1988.
4. Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988
Wayne Gretzky was the biggest star in hockey in his day, especially in Canada. He won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s, establishing a dynasty. In what is known by NHL fans as “The Trade”, August 9, 1988, is the day that changed the league forever.
After winning the Stanley Cup with the Oilers in June of 1988, Gretzky and a pair of his teammates, Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski were dealt to the Los Angeles Kings two months later for $15 million, three first-round picks, center Jimmy Carson, and forward Martin Gelinas. As it turned out, the Oilers won the Stanley Cup in 1990, while Gretzky later appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals with the Kings in 1993, losing to the Montreal Canadiens.
Also Read: Latest 2025 NHL power rankings
3. Alex Rodriguez to New York Yankees in 2004
On February 16, 2004, the New York Yankees made a giant move by trading for superstar shortstop Alex Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers. New York traded outfielder Alfonso Soriano and cash to Texas as well as infielder Joaquin Arias, who was the player to be named later in the deal. In his first four years with the Yankees, “A-Rod” hit 173 home runs, had a cumulative batting average of .303, and had 513 runs batted in. He also would win AL MVP in 2005 and 2007.
2. Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019
In 2019, it was well known that then-New Orleans Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis was looking to get out of Louisiana and go elsewhere. The Los Angeles Lakers had the best record in the Western Conference at the time but just couldn’t sustain their excellent play when James went out and they missed the playoffs. The team knew they needed another star. It was a perfect storm.
In the 2019 offseason, the Lakers instantly shifted the balance of power across the entire NBA. General manager Rob Pelinka traded for Davis and it took a king’s ransom to get him. Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, and three first-round picks. The move instantly paid off as the Lakers would win the NBA championship in the 2019-20 season.
Also Read: Latest 2025 NBA power rankings
1. Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025
In what was truly a shocking move, Luka Doncic was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 3. Dallas received all-star big man Anthony Davis, a young defensive specialist in Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick from LA.
Doncic is only 25 years old so he hasn’t even begun to scratch the surface of reaching his prime. He led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season and has the third-highest scoring average in NBA history, 28.6 points per game. The Lakers have their next superstar for the present and well into the future, post-LeBron James.
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