If you read that an NBA team has traded an MVP-caliber player, the first thing you think is that the player is declining or the team is trying to get some value in return before he becomes useless. But that's usually not the case.
Of the 28 players who have won NBA Most Valuable Player awards, 9 have been traded by the team they were playing for when they won it. Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone and Shaquille O'Neal were in this situation twice each. This is the complete list and includes what happened with them in their new teams. Although there are some exceptions (like Cowens) it is clear that some of the most unbalanced trades in NBA history include MVPs (Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar, Malone, Shaq). Trading your MVP is usually a bad idea.
Wilt Chamberlain |
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Trade data: |
With the new team: |
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From:
San Francisco Warriors |
To:
Philadelphia 76ers |
1 Championship:
1967
3 MVPs
1966, 1967, 1968
2 Scoring Titles
1965, 1966
3 Times Rebounds Leader
1966, 1967, 1968
1 Time Assists Leader
1968
3 Times All-Star
1966, 1967, 1968
3 Times All-NBA 1st Team
1966, 1967, 1968 |
Date: Jan
15, 1965
Traded For:
Paul Neumann, Connie Dierking, Lee Shaffer and cash
Player Age: 28
MVP: 1960 |
Wilt Chamberlain |
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Trade data: |
With the new team: |
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From:
Philadelphia 76ers |
To:
Los Angeles Lakers |
1 Championship:
1972
1 Finals MVP
1972
4 Times Rebounds Leader
1969, 1971, 1972, 1973
4 Times All-Star
1969, 1971, 1972, 1973
1 Time All-NBA 2nd Team
1972
2 Times All-Defense 1st Team
1972, 1973
3 Times best Field Goal %
1969, 1972, 1973 |
Date: 1968
Traded For:
Darrall Imhoff, Archie Clark and Jerry Chambers
Player Age: 31
MVP: 1966, 1967, 1968
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
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Trade data: |
With the new team: |
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From:
Milwaukee Bucks |
To:
Los Angeles Lakers |
5 Championships
1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988
3 MVPs
1976, 1977, 1980
1 Finals MVP
1985
1 Time Rebounds Leader
1976
3 Times Blocks Leader
1976, 1979, 1980
13 Times All-Star
1976, 1977, 1979 to 1989
6 Times All-NBA 1st Team
1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1984
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Date: 1975
Traded For:
Elmore Smith, guard Brian Winters and forwards Dave Meyers and Junior Bridgeman
Player Age: 28
MVP: 1971, 1972, 1974 |
Allen Iverson |
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Trade data: |
With the new team: |
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From:
Philadelphia 76ers |
To:
Denver Nuggets |
2006-07:
7th in points per game and steals per game, 9th in assists per game
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Date: midseason 2006-07
Traded For:
Andre Miller, Joe Smith and two first-round picks
Player Age: 31
MVP: 2001 |
Shaquille O'Neal |
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Trade data: |
With the new team: |
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From:
Los Angeles Lakers |
To:
Miami Heat |
1 Championship
2005
2 Times best Field Goal %
2005, 2006
3 Times All-Star
2005, 2006, 2007
2 Times All-NBA 1st Team
2005, 2006
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Date: July 2004
Traded For:
Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and two draft picks
Player Age: 32
MVP: 2000 |
Shaquille O'Neal |
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Trade data: |
With the new team: |
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From:
Miami Heat |
To:
Phoenix Suns |
not much yet |
Date: February 2008
Traded For:
Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks
Player Age: 35
MVP: 2000 |
Moses Malone |
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Trade data: |
With the new team: |
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From:
Houston Rockets |
To:
Philadelphia 76ers |
1 Championship
1983
1 MVP
1983
1 Finals MVP
1983
3 Times Rebounds Leader
1983, 1984, 1985
3 Times All-Star
1983, 1985, 1986
2 Times All-NBA 1st Team
1983, 1985
1 Time All-Defense 1st Team
1983
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Date: September 1982
Traded For:
Caldwell Jones and a first-round draft pick.
Player Age: 27
MVP: 1979, 1982 |
Moses Malone |
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Trade data: |
With the new team: |
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From:
Philadelphia 76ers |
To:
Washington Bullets |
2 Times All-Star
1987, 1988
1 Time All-NBA 2nd Team
1987
Averaged 22.1 ppg and 11.2 rpg in 2 seasons with the Bullets
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Date: 1986
Traded For:
(Moses Malone, Terry Catledge and two first-round draft choices) for Jeff Ruland and Cliff Robinson.
Player Age: 31
MVP: 1983 |
Bob McAdoo |
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Trade data: |
With the new team: |
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From:
Buffalo Braves |
To:
New York Knicks |
2 Times All-Star
1977, 1978
In 171 games with the Knicks he averaged 26.6 ppg, 12 rpg and 3.3 apg. A couple of years later he won 2 titles with the Showtime Lakers
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Date: midseason 1976-77
Traded For:
John Gianelli and cash
Player Age: 25
MVP: 1975 |
Dave Cowens |
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Trade data: |
With the new team: |
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From:
Boston Celtics |
To:
Milwaukee Bucks |
Cowens had been retired for two years when the Celtics traded him basically because he wanted to play for the Bucks. After averaging 8.1 points in 40 games he retired for good
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Date: 1982
Traded For: Quinn Buckner
Player Age: 34
MVP: 1973 |
Oscar Robertson |
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Trade data: |
With the new team: |
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From:
Cincinnati Royals |
To:
Milwaukee Bucks |
1 Championship
1971
3 Times Top 10 in Assists pg
1971, 1973, 1974
2 Times All-Star
1971, 1972
3 Times All-NBA 2nd Team
1971
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Date: April 1970
Traded For:
Flynn Robinson and Charlie Paulk
Player Age: 31
MVP: 1964 |
Kevin Garnett |
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Trade data: |
With the new team: |
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From:
Minnesota Timberwolves |
To:
Boston Celtics |
1 Championship
2008
Defensive Player of the Year
2008
Once All-Star
2008
All-NBA 1st Team
2008
All-Defensive 1st Team
2008
In his first season in Boston Garnett won the Defensive Player of the year award and teamed up with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to take the Celtics to their 17th Championship, the first in 22 years.
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Date: before the 2007-08 season
Traded For:
Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, two first-round draft picks and cash.
Player Age: 31
MVP: 2004 |