For most teams, winning the number-one overall pick in the NBA Draft is a time to celebrate as they usher in a new era led by the potential star they are going to select with the pick. Other times, it is a moment of elation followed by serious deliberation about what they want to do with their newfound royalties. Rarely is the number-one overall pick in the NBA Draft traded or used as a pawn in another deal, but when it happens, it rocks the league to a near standstill.
There have only been seven instances in which a No. 1 overall pick has been traded on or near draft night. Of those seven players that were selected first overall and dealt, none were MVPs, and only two players won NBA championships at one point in their careers. As we go through these major deals, we will break down the details of each trade and how each side of the deal worked out for both teams involved. It is a journey through NBA history as we dive deep into what caused just seven teams to take a gamble and trade their No. 1 overall draft selection.
These are the only times that a No. 1 overall draft pick was traded on or near draft night in NBA history.
The Celtics Trade Chuck Share To The Pistons
Credit: Fadeaway World
Fort Wayne Pistons Receive: Chuck Share
Boston Celtics Receive: Bill Sharman
Back in 1950, the Boston Celtics made Chuck Share their number-one overall pick in the NBA Draft. The Celtics made the pick instead of taking Bob Cousy, who eventually made his way to Boston, as we all know. As for Share, he refused to play for the Celtics and would play outside the NBA until Boston found a trade partner. This is where the Pistons come in. Fort Wayne had a disgruntled player of their own in Bill Sharman, who was refusing to play until a deal was reached as well. The deal was a match made in heaven.
Well, for one team, it was anyways. Sharman was traded to Boston and immediately an impactful player for the storied franchise. He would go on to win four NBA championships with Boston as well as make eight All-Star selections and seven All-NBA Team selections. Share would have a much less accomplished career. Share would play nine seasons from 1952 thru 1961 with the Pistons, Hawks, and Lakers. Share would serve as a roleplayer with the Hawks in 1958 when they won the NBA championship and averaged 8.3 PPG and 8.4 RPG for his career.
The Royals Trade Hot Rod Hundley To The Lakers – 1957
Credit: Fadeaway World
Rochester Royals Receive: Clyde Lovellette, Jim Paxson
Minneapolis Royals Receive: Hot Rod Hundley, Bob Burrow, Ed Fleming, Monk Meineke, Art Spoelstra
The Rochester Royals were desperate for a star when the 1957 NBA Draft came around, and they were willing to go to any lengths to make it happen. With their number-one selection, along with a trove of other talents, the Royals selected and traded their number-one pick, Hot Rod Hundley, to the Lakers for Clyde Lovellette. As an already-established star with the Lakers, Lovellette was already an NBA champion and two-time All-Star. He would play just one season with the Royals before being traded to the Hawks, where he averaged 19.3 PPG and 9.6 RPG over four seasons. He would also add two more titles to his resume in 1963 and 1964 with Boston.
Hot Rod Hundley would play just six seasons in the NBA, but they were a productive six seasons. He spent the entirety of that time with the Lakers both in Minneapolis and in Los Angeles. Hundley made back-to-back All-Star selections in 1960 and 1961 and averaged a modest 8.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 3.4 APG for his career. Hundley would retire at 28 years old with bad knees but made an impact on the Lakers in his short time there despite not delivering an NBA championship.
The Celtics Trade Joe Barry Carroll To The Warriors – 1980
Credit: Fadeaway World
Boston Celtics Receive: Kevin McHale, Robert Parish
Golden State Warriors Receive: Joe Barry Carroll, Rickey Brown
Strap in for this one, as it is one of the most lopsided deals in NBA history. Back in 1980, the Boston Celtics needed to make a splash in the open market after the Lakers had just won an NBA championship led by Magic Johnson. The Celtics already had a young star named Larry Bird they were ready to build around, and that is exactly what they accomplished with this move. The Warriors agreed to send their first-rounder to Boston along with Robert Parish the night before the draft in exchange for the rights to draft Carroll, and the rest is history.
McHale and Parish would go on to aid Bird in three NBA championships over the next seven seasons. McHale was initially one of the game’s best bench players before becoming a full-time starter. Parish was the anchor that held the interior together for Boston on both sides of the ball. Over his first six and a half seasons with the Warriors, Joe Barry Carroll was great. He made one All-Star Game and averaged 20.4 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 1.7 BPG. Over the next four seasons, Barry Carroll would play for four different teams but averaged just 11.7 PPG and 6.3 RPG. Injuries began to pile up for him, and he was out of the game by the end of 1990-91. Boston ended up winning this deal by a mile.
The 76ers Trade Brad Daugherty To The Cavaliers – 1986
Credit: Fadeaway World
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Roy Hinson
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Brad Daugherty
On the night before the 1986 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers made a deal they thought was going to carry them into the future. In exchange for the first overall pick, they acquired third-year big man Roy Hinson from the Cavaliers. Hinson was coming off a season in which he averaged 19.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 1.4 BPG. For the 76ers, this was a much better gamble than the one they would have taken with whoever their number one overall pick was, or so they thought.
That No. 1 overall pick ended up being Brad Daugherty to the Cavaliers. Daugherty would go on to become one of the best players in franchise history and certainly the best center in team history, although his career would be cut short due to back problems. In eight seasons with the team, Daugherty would make five All-Star appearances and peak as a 20.0 PPG and 10.0 RPG star in Cleveland with hopes of a championship very real. Although they remained hopeful, the Cavaliers never won a championship with Daugherty on the team, but Daugherty is forever beloved in Cleveland for the short time he spent with the team.
The Magic Trade Chris Webber To The Warriors – 1993
Credit: Fadeaway World
Orlando Magic Receive: Anfernee Hardaway, 1996 First-Round Draft Pick, 1998 First-Round Draft Pick, 2000 First-Round Draft Pick
Golden State Warriors Receive: Chris Webber
Coming out of college at the University of Michigan, it was a pretty well-known fact that the number-one overall pick was going to be Chris Webber. He was a fast and strong versatile forward who could do a little bit of everything on the court. Leading up to the NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic held the first pick and got some urging from their already budding superstar, Shaquille O’Neal, as to who the pick should be. Shaq wanted Penny Hardaway, who he had just made a movie with called “Blue Chips”. The Magic wanted Webber, but they also wanted to keep O’Neal happy.
What occurred next was a compromise. The Magic drafted Webber with the pick but immediately found a deal to acquire Penny and three first-round picks in the future from the Warriors in exchange for Webber. Penny and Shaq would become one of the game’s most exciting duos before O’Neal left for the Lakers and Hardaway got injured. As for Webber, he was one of the most talented power forwards ever, but clashes with coaches and questionable officiating cost him a chance at an NBA championship. Webber and Hardaway are both Basketball Hall of Famers, but the deal is a win for Orlando, considering the draft capital they acquired and Webber playing just one season with the Warriors.
The Cavaliers Trade Andrew Wiggins To The Timberwolves – 2014
Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Luc Mbah A Moute, Alexey Shved, 2016 First-Round Pick
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Kevin Love
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, Thaddeus Young
In the first trade of a first overall pick in 21 years, the NBA was rocked to the core with this move. It was no secret at this time that the Cleveland Cavaliers wanted Kevin Love more than anything during the offseason once the Timberwolves made him available. Rumored to be available in the deal was the player they drafted a month before at number one overall, Andrew Wiggins. Having been compared to LeBron James more than once, Wiggins was the piece Minnesota coveted most. One month after the draft, the deal went through.
Love would be dealt to the Cavaliers and help them make NBA Finals appearances from 2015 thru 2018. They won the NBA championship in 2016 on the back of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and the greatest comeback in NBA playoff history. As for Wiggins, he had a rough start with Minnesota but developed into a 20.0 PPG scorer. In 2020, Wiggins was traded to the Golden State Warriors and given an extension through the 2026-27 season. Wiggins earned his extension after playing a pivotal role in the Warriors winning the 2022 NBA championship averaging 18.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.5 SPG, and 1.5 BPG in the Finals while playing immaculate defense.
The Celtics Trade Markelle Fultz To The 76ers – 2017
Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Boston Celtics Received: 2017 First-Round Draft Pick, 2019 First-Round Draft Pick
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: 2017 First-Round Pick
Leading up to the 2017 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics held the first overall pick in the draft. Three days before the big night, Boston decided to deal the pick based on Philadelphia’s interest in Fultz while Boston was eyeing Jayson Tatum out of Duke. When the night arrived, the 76ers got their man, as did Boston, but the deal ended up working out for only one of them. Fultz struggled mightily and publicly with an inability to shoot the ball and averaging just 7.7 PPG on 41.4% shooting overall and less than 27.0% shooting from three.
As for Boston, they found their franchise star and knew it almost immediately. Tatum and the Celtics reached the Conference Finals in Tatum’s rookie season and have been a serious contender ever since. Tatum has turned into an MVP candidate who led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in 2022. In 2023, Tatum became the first Boston player to average 30.0 PPG or more in a season. Once again, Danny Ainge looked like a genius while the 76ers looked lost and confused, which was the norm for them when it came to the NBA Draft at this time.
