In recent weeks, we have taken an in-depth look into the worst draft and trade mistakes made by several different NBA franchises, including the Indiana Pacers and Golden State Warriors. Both the Warriors and Pacers presented some really unfathomable moves that prevented them from becoming even more successful than they already are. It’s hard to imagine that the same experience can be shared by one of the winningest teams in NBA history, but alas, this is found to be true.
The Los Angeles Lakers have won 17 NBA championships in their franchise’s history, which ties them for the most ever with the Boston Celtics. While they are arguably the most decorated franchise ever, they have also made mistakes as it pertains to their roster building through the NBA draft and front office moves via trade. These are moves that could have cost them championships and messed up their chemistry so badly it set the franchise back a few years.
Today, we will break down the most egregious moves ever made by the Lakers. We will document and dive into each poor decision and evaluate the decisions in the NBA Draft that came back to haunt them, as well as the trades that backfired and ended up working against them. It is important to note that we are looking at these decisions in hindsight and most of these decisions were likely great moves at the time. Unfortunately, they just didn’t work out for the purple and gold.
These are the worst draft and trade mistakes in Los Angeles Lakers history.
The Worst Draft Mistakes In Los Angeles Lakers History1970 NBA Draft
Credit: Fadeaway World
Los Angeles Lakers Selected: Jim McMillian, 13th Overall Pick
Better Available Pick: Tiny Archibald (19th Overall Pick)
Around the 1969-70 season, the last thing on the Lakers’ minds was the future of the point guard position. They were pretty much set with the combination of Jerry West and Gail Goodrich, although West was four seasons away from retirement. With this in mind, the Lakers selected Jim McMillian with their 13th overall pick. McMillian was a small forward out of Columbia University that would actually be a decent player his first few seasons with the Lakers. He would have back-to-back seasons of at least 18.0 PPG in 1972 and 1973 and played a role on the 1972 team that won the NBA championship.
As decent as McMillian was, he was traded after the 1972-73 season in exchange for Elmore Smith. Lurking just a few picks after McMillian was talented guard Tiny Archibald who, in the long run, would have been the better choice for the Lakers. Archibald could have easily ushered in the new era after West and Goodrich as he went on to become a six-time All-Star, scoring champion, assists champion, and an NBA champion with the Boston Celtics in 1981. In the end, the move didn’t backfire as much as it could have. The Lakers and Archibald each got their NBA championship but man, it would have been a sight to see Tiny Archibald suit up for the Lakers as a young man who averaged over 30.0 PPG and 11.0 APG.
1976 NBA Draft
Credit: Fadeaway World
Los Angeles Lakers Selected: Earl Tatum, 21st Overall Pick
Better Available Pick: Alex English (23rd Overall Pick)
Heading into the 1976 season, the Lakers were still trying to get used to life after Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West. In the 1976 NBA Draft, they decided to go with a player often referred to as “The Black Jerry West”, a shooting guard named Earl Tatum out of Marquette. With high expectations aplenty, Tatum disappointed all around, playing in just 93 games total with Los Angeles before being shipped out of town in a trade that landed the Lakers Adrian Dantley.
The player that the Lakers could have had would have reshaped their offense during the late 70s and 1980s. Now, eventually, the Lakers did the right thing and built a dynasty during the 1980s around Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Alex English would have been an elite offensive weapon to have been a part of those teams as well. Alex English was already an eight-time All-Star and recorded eight straight 2,000-point seasons with the Nuggets, but if he had been a part of the Showtime era, maybe we wouldn’t be referring to him as one of the greatest ringless players in NBA history. English isn’t necessarily a mistake considering the Lakers were champions just four years later, but hey, it could have sped up the process.
1977 NBA Draft
Credit: Fadeaway World
Los Angeles Lakers Selected: Kenny Carr, 6th Overall Pick
Better Available Pick: Bernard King (7th Overall Pick)
Just one year after missing out on English at small forward, the Lakers passed on another all-time great to play the same position. This time they decided to take a power forward named Kenny Carr out of NC State. Carr would be a huge disappointment in L.A., breaking his foot in his rookie year before being buried on the bench behind Spencer Haywood and others. Carr would play in just six games for the Lakers after his injury and 10 seasons in the NBA overall, retiring in 1987.
Right behind Carr, Bernard King was lurking, but little did the Lakers know what they had passed up on. No matter how many times injuries knocked him down, King got back up and became one of the most prolific scorers ever. King became a four-time All-Star and All-NBA Team selection in 16 seasons as well as a consistent 20.0 PPG and 5.5 RPG player. He won a scoring title in 1985 with the Knicks and could have been an NBA champion if it weren’t for yet another devastating knee injury. King could have been a staple in Lakers history but instead made a mark on NBA history elsewhere as one of the greatest small forwards ever.
2015 NBA Draft
Credit: Fadeaway World
Los Angeles Lakers Selected: D’Angelo Russell, 2nd Overall Pick
Better Available Pick: Devin Booker (13th Overall Pick)
In the 40 years between the last two draft mistakes, the Lakers did a ton of winning, so it’s safe to say their draft mistakes were incredibly limited. In 2015 however, the Lakers were getting ready to head into life without Kobe Bryant and needed another franchise star to take his place. They placed those hopes on the shoulders of D’Angelo Russell, who wasn’t bad during his first stint with the Lakers, it’s just that his relationship with teammates was awful, and he wasn’t nearly as good as the player they passed on.
The Lakers and 12 other teams passed on one of the game’s brightest stars today, Devin Booker. The three-time All-Star is one of the most efficient mid-range scorers in the NBA and arguably the game’s top shooting guard. Russell is good but has always been middle of the pack when it comes to point guards. Meanwhile, Booker has been to an NBA Finals and is a consistent 25.0 PPG to 29.0 PPG scoring threat and a top-five lock at his position. Yeah, the Lakers would have rather had Booker.
2017 NBA Draft
Credit: Fadeaway World
Los Angeles Lakers Selected: Lonzo Ball, 2nd Overall Pick
Better Available Pick: Jayson Tatum (3rd Overall Pick)
The Lakers had the chance to redeem themselves and were pretty much locked in to sign LeBron James as well at this point. With this, they decided to ride the theoretical hype train and draft Lonzo Ball, a point guard who was the subject of a ton of attention before he even walked onto an NBA court. Ball would struggle to adapt to the NBA and deal with injuries during his time as a Laker, something that still plagues him today in 2023. The player taken one pick later has become the complete opposite.
That player is none other than Boston Celtics franchise cornerstone Jayson Tatum. Over the last six seasons, Tatum has helped the Celtics make four Conference Finals appearances and one NBA Finals appearance. Tatum is not only a lock for a deep playoff run, but he is a 30.0 PPG scorer who has MVP-caliber talent. He and LeBron James would have been a duo for the ages if Tatum had been there when James arrived in 2018-19 and possibly made more than one NBA title run together.
The Worst Trades In Los Angeles Lakers History1979 Trade Between The Los Angeles Lakers And The Utah Jazz
Credit: Fadeaway World
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Spencer Haywood
Utah Jazz Receive: Adrian Dantley
This trade is among the five worst in the Lakers’ history for a number of reasons. First is the glaring loss of Adrian Dantley in the deal. To be fair, Dantley was yet to show everyone the player he truly was, playing just a season and a half with the Lakers before the trade for Haywood went down. After the deal, Dantley would become a two-time scoring champion, six-time All-Star, and two-time All-NBA Team selection as well. As for the Lakers’ return in the deal, it was the opposite.
Haywood would play just the 1979-80 season with the Lakers, a season in which they won the NBA championship. However, Haywood wasn’t there. See, Haywood was suspended for the 1980 Finals due to ongoing issues with substance abuse that had plagued him most of his career. He wasn’t nearly the same player he had been in his prime and the deal quickly turned sour for L.A. It wasn’t all bad though, I would say the Lakers recovered well as they went on to win four more NBA titles by 1988.
1998 Trade Between The Los Angeles Lakers And The Denver Nuggets
Credit: Fadeaway World
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Tony Battie, Tyronn Lue
Denver Nuggets Receive: Nick Van Exel
During the 1990s, the Los Angeles Lakers desperately needed somebody to carry the torch over from the 1980s or, at the very least, spark some excitement into a team that was concerned about their future. That is exactly what Nick Van Exel did for five seasons from 1994 through 1998. He averaged 14.9 PPG and 7.3 APG over that time and even became an All-Star in 1998. After that season though, the Lakers made the difficult decision to trade Van Exel, which landed them squat.
It’s pretty bad when the trade return’s best highlight is being stepped over by another player in the NBA Finals. The Lakers didn’t lose much in this deal because they went on to three-peat as NBA champions anyway, but Van Exel should have been a part of it. Instead, the Lakers got zero minutes out of Battie and 56 games out of Lue over three years. In hindsight, the trade makes no sense, as Van Exel went on to become a 20.0 PPG scorer at his peak in Denver, and the Lakers’ did nothing of note.
2004 Trade Between The Los Angeles Lakers And The Miami Heat
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, 2006 First-Round Draft Pick, 2007 Second-Round Draft Pick
Miami Heat Receive: Shaquille O’Neal
The next trade is not just about the player being lost in the deal but the return failing to live up to expectations as well. Now, Shaquille O’Neal by the end of 2004 was inevitably set to leave the Lakers amid his ongoing beef with teammate Kobe Bryant. With no reparation in sight between the two, the Lakers shipped O’Neal to Miami in exchange for three role players and draft capital. As for O’Neal, he went on to win another NBA championship in 2006 with Miami and was nearly an MVP in 2005. The Lakers went on to have some of their worst seasons ever.
The return wasn’t all bad for the Lakers. They got Caron Butler back who was a young player with a huge upside. Lamar Odom would go on to become one of the best bench players in the NBA with the Lakers and win two NBA championships in 2009 and 2010. However, the Lakers could have gotten a much bigger return for a player the caliber of Shaq at the time. I refuse to believe this was the best offer they got for him at the time.
2005 Trade Between The Los Angeles Lakers And Washington Wizards
Credit: Fadeaway World
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Kwame Brown, Laron Profit
Washington Wizards Receive: Caron Butler, Chucky Atkins
While the Lakers navigated a tough road without Shaq for the first time since 1995-96, the Lakers moved around a ton of pieces trying to build a contender around Kobe Bryant. One of those moving pieces would be Caron Butler who had been in L.A. for one year following the Miami deal for Shaq. The Lakers acquired former No. 1 overall pick Kwame Brown in the deal, a deal that would backfire on the Lakers.
Caron Butler would go on to become a two-time All-Star with the Wizards following the trade and a consistent 20.0 PPG scorer. In two and a half seasons with the Lakers, Brown would average just 7.4 PPG and 6.2 RPG in over 26.0 minutes on the court. The Lakers would make the playoffs twice with Brown, but both resulted in first-round exits. The Lakers would cut ties with Brown in a deal that landed them Pau Gasol, so maybe it wasn’t all bad, eh?
2012 Trade Between The Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, And Orlando Magic
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Dwight Howard, Earl Clark, Chris Duhon
The Orlando Magic Receive: Aaron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Christian Eyenga, Josh McRoberts, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, 2013 Second-Round Draft Pick, 2014 First-Round Draft Pick, 2017 Second-Round Draft Pick, 2018 First-Round Draft Pick
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson
Denver Nuggets Receive: Andre Iguodala
This trade was massive and one of the biggest the league had seen over the last 25 years. Dwight Howard, among one of the NBA’s top-ten players at the time and a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, wanted out of his situation with the Orlando Magic. The Lakers were still desperate for another ring while Kobe Bryant remained a top player in the game. As much as the trade seemed like a fit, it turned out to be a disaster in the end and one that the Lakers tried to erase after just one year.
Howard would be an All-Star in his only season with the Lakers, who had also added Steve Nash to the mix, but he struggled with injuries. Howard and Bryant would butt heads with Bryant unhappy that Howard’s maturity and work ethic were nowhere close to where they should have been. The team would make the playoffs but lose in the first round in blowout fashion. The Lakers would move on from Howard after one year and go down as one of the worst failed superteams in NBA history.
2021 Trade Between The Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, And Washington Wizards
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Russell Westbrook, 2023 Second-Round Draft Pick, 2024 Second-Round Draft Pick, 2028 Second-Round Draft Pick
Washington Wizards Receive: Spencer Dinwiddie, Aaron Holiday, Isaiah Todd, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, 2021 First-Round Pick
Indiana Pacers Receive: Isaiah Jackson
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Nikola Milutinov, 2024 Second-Round Draft Pick, 2025 Second-Round Draft Pick
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Chandler Hutchison, 2022 Second-Round Draft Pick
The Los Angeles Lakers made massive headlines in 2021 when they acquired Russell Westbrook to team up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in their pursuit of another NBA championship. The deal was supposed to strike fear into the hearts and souls across the league, but by the end of it, it did nothing but become the butt of endless jokes and criticism across the game.
The fit alongside Davis and James was horrific for Westbrook. Every turnover and missed jumper was scrutinized to the point that Westbrook was blamed for all of their issues despite mishandlings from ownership down to the coaches as well. On top of it, Davis and James were both injured for an extended period of time and no chemistry was ever formed between the trio.
In 2022-23, the Lakers were able to send Westbrook away in a deal that netted them a great return. Westbrook signed with the Clippers after being bought out by the Utah Jazz and played extremely well for them down the stretch. The Lakers went back to being a powerhouse and returned to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2020. In the end, everything worked out for both parties, but the 2022 and 2023 seasons will not soon be forgotten by those that witnessed the Lakers-Westbrook days.
