One of the most exciting times on the NBA calendar is the trade deadline. As trades roll in and the full details are reported, you hear about how one team fleeced another, and sometimes trades that look like steals end up aging that way, though that isn’t always the case.
So, which trades are considered the biggest steals in NBA history? Well, for starters, the NBA officially began tracking deadline deals in 1987, but it first established the deadline in 1947.
To narrow the list to 25, you need criteria; with that, deadline steals that led to a championship (or championships) carry more weight than others, except for the biggest deadline steal of all time. Any trade before the deadline, in the same season, is fair game, so let’s get to it!
25. Nets trade Kevin Durant to Suns, 2023
The Brooklyn Nets are on this list for doing something… good? Well, yes, but it was a response to not winning a title (or even making it to the conference finals) with their Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden trio.
They traded Durant and T.J. Warren to the Suns before the 2023 deadline for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, and four unprotected first-round picks and a pick swap. Over a year later, in the 2024 offseason, they turned Bridges into five first-round picks, a first-round pick swap, and a second-round pick in a trade with the Knicks. And in the summer of 2025, Brooklyn traded Johnson to Denver for Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected first-round pick.
So yes, you can indeed say the Nets got a steal of a deal from the Suns, even more so since Durant didn’t win a title in Phoenix, where he spent two-and-a-half seasons. Brooklyn at least got out of what turned into a bad situation with a chest full of draft assets. Now, who they use them on is another story.
24. Suns trade for Joe Johnson, 2002
Phoenix sent Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk to Boston before the 2002 deadline for Joe Johnson, Randy Brown, Milt Palacio, and a first-round pick. The Celtics were the No. 2 team in the East at the time and wanted to improve their depth before the playoffs, but the Suns came out of this deal on the better side.
Johnson, a rookie at the time, helped Phoenix turn things around. His best season with the Suns came in 2004-05, when he averaged a career-high 17.1 points. Phoenix finished 62-20, tying a franchise record, and reached the conference finals for the first time since 1993.
Johnson averaged 18.8 points during the Suns’ run, shooting 55.6% from three, in 39.4 minutes across nine games. He was on a hot streak before his season unfortunately ended in the second round after suffering a displaced fracture of his left orbital eye bone in what ended up being the last time he suited up for Phoenix.
Rogers was in Boston only for the second half of the 2001-02 season, and Johnson was with the Celtics for two seasons. They’d have been better off keeping Johnson, who alone would’ve been enough for the Suns to win this trade.
23. Pacers trade for Mark Jackson, 1997
The Pacers brought Mark Jackson back to Indiana before the 1997 deadline and also acquired LaSalle Thompson from Denver, sending the Nuggets Eddie Johnson, Vincent Askew, and two second-round picks in return.
Jackson averaged a league-high 12.3 assists in 52 games for Denver and 9.8 in 30 games in Indiana. The guard’s return helped the Pacers the most the following season, 1997-98, when they made three straight conference finals appearances, with Jackson guiding the offense. In 2000, they reached the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Indiana fell short of a title, but bringing Jackson back to the city after less than a year away gave the Pacers the boost they needed to reach a level of success they had never achieved, making them the clear winners in the 1997 trade. Denver waived Johnson, who spent a couple more seasons in Houston, and Askew appeared in only one game for the Nuggets. He played his last season in 1997-98.
22. Heat trade for Tim Hardaway, 1996
In 1996, the Heat sent Kevin Willis and Bimbo Coles to the Warriors for Tim Hardaway and Chris Gatling.
Hardaway averaged 17.2 points and 10 assists per game to close the season, helping Miami get back to the playoffs, where Chicago swept the Heat. In 1996-97, the guard had his best season in South Florida (earning All-NBA First Team honors), averaging 20.3 points, 8.6 assists, and 1.9 steals, helping propel Miami to the conference finals.
That was the furthest the Heat went with Hardaway, but he changed the organization’s trajectory by shaping it into a contender. As a result, he’s widely regarded as one of the best point guards in team history.
Willis, meanwhile, had a few good seasons after the Heat traded him, but not enough to make the Heat regret the trade. Cole also played several more seasons, but his best years happened in Miami.
21. Celtics trade for Isaiah Thomas, 2015
Leading up to the 2015 deadline, Boston sent Marcus Thornton and a 2016 first-round pick to Phoenix for Isaiah Thomas. The move initially flew under the radar, but after Jared Sullinger’s season-ending foot injury, Thomas averaged 19 points to finish the season and helped his new team go 20-11 after the All-Star break.
In his first full season in Boston, he averaged a career-high 22.2 points (at the time) in 32.2 minutes per game, starting 79 of 82 games. The following season, Thomas had his best season, averaging 28.9 points in 76 games, and it was the first time he started every game.
As a result, he finished fifth in MVP voting, made the All-NBA Second Team, and earned an All-Star selection. The Celtics clinched the No. 1 seed in the East and reached the conference finals for the first time in five years.
That magical season was Thomas’ last in Boston, as he was traded to the Cavaliers in the offseason as part of the deal for Kyrie Irving.
Although Thomas didn’t help the Celtics achieve their ultimate goal of winning a championship, he accomplished far more than anyone expected—far more than Thornton, who played only nine games in Phoenix. And more than Skal Labissiere, whom the Suns drafted with the pick they received in the trade for Thomas. He never suited up for Phoenix.
20. Warriors trade for Baron Davis, 2005
In February 2005, Golden State sent Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis to New Orleans for Baron Davis, a 25-year-old two-time All-Star coming off an All-NBA season.
In Davis’ second full season with the team (2006-07), he led the team to their first playoff appearance since 1994. The ‘We Believe Warriors’ became the third No. 8 seed in NBA history to knock off a No. 1 seed in the playoffs, defeating the Mavericks in six games. The guard averaged 25 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in the series, which also marked Golden State’s first postseason win since 1992.
The Warriors’ furthest playoff run with Davis came in the 2007 semifinals, when they clashed with the Jazz. But he breathed life back into an organization desperate for success before leaving in the 2008 offseason to return home to Los Angeles and sign with the Clippers.
Claxton spent a year and a half in New Orleans before ending his career in Atlanta, while New Orleans waived Davis, who went on to sign with Indiana. The Pelicans didn’t have to live with the regret of watching their former star guard lead the Warriors to a championship, but that didn’t make their lack of a suitable return for him look any better.
19. Clippers trade for Ivica Zubac, 2019
Mike Muscala never actually played in a game for the Clippers before LA traded him to the Lakers for Michael Beasley and Ivica Zubac. He went from Philadelphia to Los Angeles in a few days before the 2019 deadline.
The Clippers rarely come out on the winning end of a deal (95 percent of the time they don’t), but in this case, they did. Zubac, who was 21 at the time of the trade, blossomed into a starter with LA.
He led the league in total rebounds in 2024-25 and, that same season, made the All-NBA Defensive Second Team, while Muscala played only 17 games for the Lakers before signing a two-year deal with the Thunder as a free agent in 2019.
No, Zubac didn’t help the Clippers win a championship, unlike several other players featured in this piece after they were traded.
But in a pre-deadline move in 2026, LA traded Zubac to Indiana for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks, and one second-round pick. One of the first-round picks (2026) was protected 1-4 and 10-30, but it fell to No. 5 in the draft lottery, and the Clippers selected Keaton Wagler. That wouldn’t have been possible without the trade with the Lakers seven years earlier.
18. Pacers trade for Tyrese Haliburton, 2022
The Pacers and Kings agreed to a unique trade before the 2022 deadline: Indiana sent Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday, and a 2023 second-round pick to Sacramento for Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson. It was a swap between two teams that weren’t going anywhere.
It turns out the Pacers needed Haliburton to get somewhere. In Indiana’s return to the playoffs in 2024, it made the conference finals behind its star guard, and the following year, the Pacers clawed their way to the 2025 NBA Finals.
Haliburton got off to a hot start in Game 7 against the Thunder, scoring seven points in nine minutes. Unfortunately, a torn Achilles kept Indiana from capping a title-winning season.
What Haliburton has accomplished since going from Sacramento to Indianapolis is nothing short of incredible. The Pacers traded their star, Sabonis, for a shot at what they believed could be a star for the then-22-year-old guard. It was a good bet, and the best part is the front office didn’t need to give up much to get him.
17. Sixers trade Markelle Fultz, 2019
Philadelphia ended the Markelle Fultz era before the 2020 deadline, receiving Jonathan Simmons, a protected 2020 first-round pick, and a 2020 second-round pick from the Magic.
The pick conveyed, and Philadelphia selected Tyrese Maxey with the No. 21 pick. Essentially, the Sixers turned Fultz into Maxey, who has blossomed into the star guard they thought their former No. 1 pick would be.
Maxey is in his seventh season, made All-NBA last season, has two All-Star appearances (he started in 2026), and was the league’s Most Improved Player in 2023-24. He’s coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 28.3 points in 38 minutes over 70 games, and he could be in the MVP conversation this season.
Fultz, unfortunately, is out of the league. He spent a few years in Orlando and, most recently, appeared in five games for Toronto last season. At 28, his NBA career seems over, while Maxey’s best is still to come at 25.
The Sixers have their best shot at winning a title this season than they’ve ever had with Maxey, and if that happens (this season or in the future), this trade will look even better for Philadelphia.
16. Nuggets trade for Alex English, 1980
On Feb. 1, 1980, Denver traded George McGinnis to Indiana for Alex English and a first-round pick. The Nuggets traded a future Hall of Famer, McGinnis, nearing the end of his career, for another, English, who was still just beginning his career after entering the league in 1976-77.
In the 10 and a half seasons that English was in Denver, he led the Nuggets to nine consecutive playoff runs, was an eight-time NBA All-Star, became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, set 31 records, was the NBA scoring champion in 1982-83, scored the most points in the league in the 1980s, and accomplished other miraculous things we could spend all day talking about. No big deal!
English was regarded as the franchise’s greatest player until Nikola Jokić came along and led the Nuggets to their first championship in 2022-23, but the forward will always be an all-time great in the Mile High City.
15. Jazz trade for Jeff Hornacek, 1994
Before the 1994 deadline, the Jazz shook things up by trading Jeff Malone and a first-round pick to the Sixers for Jeff Hornacek. It was a risky move: losing Malone, who averaged 18 points per game in Utah, but gaining Hornacek, a better shooter and playmaker.
And it paid off. Hornacek helped the Jazz return to the conference finals later that year. Although Utah was eliminated in the first round the following year, it reached the conference finals again in 1996.
The Jazz finally broke past the WCF in 1997, reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, and they did it again in 1998 (the last time they made it that far), where they came up short both times to Michael Jordan and the Bulls.
Although Utah didn’t get the exact result it hoped for with Hornacek, he proved to be the guard that the Jazz needed. He ended his career in Salt Lake City, and his No. 14 jersey hangs in the rafters at Delta Center. Injuries marred Malone’s stint in Philadelphia, and the Sixers waived him in 1996.
14. Spurs trade for Nazr Mohammed, 2005
In 2005, San Antonio traded Malik Rose and conditional first-round picks in 2005 and 2006 for Nazr Mohammed and Jamison Brewer. Losing Rose upset San Antonio fans and may still be a sensitive topic (sorry if you’re reading this and feel some type of way), but Mohammed’s defensive presence down low helped the Spurs win another NBA championship a few months later. That’s what matters, right?
He averaged 7.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game in 23 minutes per game in the 2005 playoffs, starting every game for the Spurs, who were still trying to find a David Robinson replacement.
No, Mohammed wasn’t that player. He wasn’t in San Antonio long—only one full season—but despite his ups and downs, he still deserves his flowers. The trade worked in San Antonio’s favor not just because of the title, but also because of Rose’s production declining during his final seasons in New York and Oklahoma City.
13. Warriors trade for Andrew Wiggins, 2020
Before the 2020 deadline, Golden State reshuffled its roster, sending D’Angelo Russell, Jacob Evans III, and Omari Spellman to Minnesota for Andrew Wiggins, a 2021 protected first-round pick, and a 2021 second-round pick. Yes, that first-round pick became Jonathan Kuminga, and his time in the Bay was a rollercoaster. But what matters here is that Wiggins helped the Warriors win a fourth championship two years after he arrived.
Wiggins averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks in 34.9 minutes per game across the 2022 playoffs. He led the team in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, scoring 26 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
The Warriors acquired Wiggins when they had the worst record in the league (yes, without an injured Steph Curry), and it seemed their title-winning days were finally in the rearview. He hadn’t lived up to the hype as a No. 1 pick with the Timberwolves, but he was the complementary player the Warriors needed.
12. Knicks trade for Jose Alvarado, 2026
Imagine getting traded to your hometown team, just in time to help them win their first championship in 53 years, in New York City. That was Jose Alvarado’s reality after the Knicks traded Dalen Terry and two second-round picks to the Pelicans before the 2026 deadline, thanks to the assist of a lifetime from Guerschon Yabusele (he waived his player option, allowing the Knicks to trade him).
Alvarado was New York’s way of adding a reinforcement to the roster before the playoffs started. No one questioned whether he’d fit the culture. You don’t measure him by his height (he’s just six feet), but by his heart. He has plenty of that.
He brought energy off the bench, picking up steals and diving for loose balls. Without Alvarado, who had eight points, three assists, and two rebounds in the final 10 minutes of Game 4, New York wouldn’t have clawed back to win after falling behind by 29 points at Madison Square Garden.
You can’t even find a story like Alvarado’s in a book—that’s how good it was (and still is, as the Knicks re-signed him to a three-year deal in the summer of 2026). Talk about good value.
11. Knicks trade for OG Anunoby, 2023
New York traded RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a 2024 second-round pick to Toronto for OG Anunoby (and Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn!) on Dec. 30, 2023, in a surprise move.
Knicks fans struggled to cope with losing Barrett and Quickley, two young, homegrown talents, but Leon Rose had a vision, and Anunoby was part of it. He may not have specifically envisioned OG tipping in Jalen Brunson’s missed three-pointer in Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals to secure the win after New York was down by as many as 29 points to San Antonio, but he knew the team needed an athletic, versatile wing.
The Knicks got one without giving up a first-round pick, and as a bonus, they got Achiuwa, who spent a full season in New York after that. Barrett and Quickley are still in Toronto, but together they haven’t been nearly as valuable as Anunoby has been in New York.
10. Grizzlies trade for Marc Gasol, 2019
Before the February 2019 deadline, Toronto acquired three-time All-Star and former DPOY Marc Gasol from Memphis, sending Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, CJ Miles, and a 2024 second-round pick to the Grizzlies.
The move was meant to boost Toronto’s frontcourt as it prepared for the playoffs, and soon after he arrived in Canada, Gasol became a starter and anchored the defense. When the postseason rolled around, he averaged 9.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game during the Raptors’ championship run, their first in franchise history.
After the trade, Nick Nurse said one of the positives of acquiring Gasol was that he was “battle-tested,” a strength he tapped into in Canada, giving the Raptors exactly what they needed.
Of the players Toronto sent to Memphis, Valanciunas stayed the longest (through the 2020-21 season), while Wright and Miles didn’t remain beyond the 2018-19 season. The Raptors were on the winning end of the trade (literally) by a wide margin.
9. Bulls trade for Luc Longley, 1994
In February 1994, Chicago traded Stacey King to Minnesota for Luc Longley and a second-round pick. King spent a season and a half with the Timberwolves, and Longley played for the Bulls through the 1997-98 season.
Longley didn’t start any of the games he played for Chicago in his first full season, but from then on, he started every game for the Bulls. He was part of the team’s second three-peat in the 90s, becoming the first Australian player to win an NBA championship, and the only to win three.
When you think of the Bulls’ dominance, Longley isn’t the first player to come to mind. He’s not the second, third, or the fourth, either. Probably not even the fifth, but because Chicago got part of its 1996-98 championship core in this trade and King hopped around the league to end his career, this was a steal for the Bulls.
8. Knicks trade for Josh Hart, 2023
Jalen Brunson’s reaction to the Knicks trading for Josh Hart before the 2023 deadline perfectly sums up how it worked out. New York got one of the missing pieces for its eventual 2026 championship in a multi-team trade, and all it cost was Cam Reddish, Svi Mykhailiuk, Ryan Arcidiacono, the draft rights to Ante Tomic, and a protected first-round pick. That’s a price that Leon Rose would pay a million times over.
It was the third deadline in a row that Hart was on the move, and he finally found a home in New York, charming some of the world’s most passionate fans with his nonstop hustle (not counting practice), winning attitude, and post-game antics.
The Trail Blazers didn’t know how valuable Hart would be to the Knicks, and that became obvious soon after the trade, and it’s only gotten more true since.
7. Nuggets trade for Aaron Gordon, 2021
Before the 2021 deadline, Aaron Gordon requested a trade from Orlando, the team that drafted him with the No. 4 overall pick in 2014. He said he was frustrated about several things, including losing. He needed a change of scenery, and the Nuggets gave it to him by sending the Magic Gary Harris, rookie R.J. Hampton, and a 2025 protected first-round pick.
That’s the price Denver paid for a player who helped the franchise win its first-ever championship two years later. Harris did well in Orlando for the first year and a half, but his play has declined in recent seasons, to the point where he’s a free agent, with the regular season underway. Hampton last played in an NBA game during the 2023-24 season. The Magic drafted Jase Richardson with the pick they received in the trade, and they’re still trying to figure out who he can be in the NBA.
We already know who Gordon is. He reinvented himself in Denver as one of the league’s best role players, and if the Nuggets have it their way, he’ll help them win another title, though they don’t need a reason to make the trade look any better than it already does.
6. Pistons trade for Rasheed Wallace, 1994
On Valentine’s Day in 2004, Pistons fans received a special gift from their favorite team when Detroit traded Zeljko Rebraca, Bob Sura, Lindsey Hunter, Chucky Atkins, cash, and two first-round picks to Atlanta and Boston for Rasheed Wallace and Mike James.
Yes, the Pistons had to part with several players, but they were all reserves, making it a good deal for Detroit. It got even better when Wallace became a key part of the team’s NBA championship run a few months later. James got a ring, too, averaging 8.8 minutes per game across 22 contests, so they traded for two future champions.
Wallace spent five full seasons in Detroit after that, returning to the NBA Finals again the following year before falling short against the Spurs. He earned two All-Star selections with the Pistons and picked up just a handful of technical fouls. He became a fan favorite, embracing the city and its competitive, hard-nosed spirit. Ball Don’t Lie.
5. Cavaliers trade for Baron Davis, 2011
A few hours before the 2011 deadline, the Cavaliers acquired Baron Davis and a 2011 first-round pick from the Clippers, sending Mo Williams and Jamario Moon to LA.
Davis played only 15 games for Cleveland before making one final stop in New York at the end of his NBA career the following season, but this, respectfully, isn’t about him. It’s about who the Cavaliers drafted with the pick they received after winning the lottery — Kyrie Irving.
The superstar guard spent six seasons in Cleveland, where he was named Rookie of the Year, was an All-Star four times, and made the All-NBA team in 2015. Most importantly, Irving helped the Cavaliers end their championship drought in 2016 when they came back from down 3-1 to beat the Warriors, becoming the first team in NBA Finals history to do so.
Williams spent a season and a half in LA, where he had some good moments, while Moon appeared in only 19 games for the Clippers toward the end of his career. Neither came close to what the Cavaliers got from the pick they received in the trade.
4. Rockets trade for Clyde Drexler, 1995
On Valentine’s Day in 1995, Houston traded for Clyde Drexler and Tracey Murray, sending Portland Otis Thorpe, Marcelo Nicola, and a first-round pick. Just like that, Drexler reunited with Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston after playing together at the University of Houston.
That duo had unfinished business after falling short of an NCAA title with the Cougars. Little did the NBA world know that although the Rockets entered the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, they’d go on to win a title, becoming the lowest seed in league history to do so.
Drexler averaged 20.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.5 steals in the 1995 playoffs. He hung around Houston for a few more seasons, earning two more All-Star nods, before his final season in 1997-98.
Thorpe spent only the second half of the 1994-95 season in Portland, while Nicola stayed in Europe for his entire career and never came over to the NBA. The Trail Blazers selected Randolph Childress with their pick from the Rockets in the Drexler trade, but his career was short-lived.
Drexler became an even bigger legend in Houston, while what Portland received in its end of the deal was forgettable.
3. Lakers trade for Pau Gasol, 2008
Before the 2008 deadline, Los Angeles made a franchise-altering trade, sending Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Marc Gasol, two first-round picks, and cash considerations to Memphis for Pau Gasol and a second-round pick. Pau was 27 at the time, so he was in his prime, making the return look worse for the Grizzlies.
The Lakers were coming off back-to-back first-round playoff exits, and in their first postseason with their new Kobe Bryant-Gasol pairing, they returned to the NBA Finals, where they fell short against the Celtics. They responded by winning back-to-back titles, with Gasol etching his name in Los Angeles history as an all-time great.
If it weren’t for Marc, Pau’s brother, the trade would’ve been even more lopsided for the Grizzlies, so at least they got that, but it doesn’t compare to what the Lakers got from the elder Gasol.
2. 76ers trade for Wilt Chamberlain, 1965
Surprise—the most dominant player in NBA history made the list! Philadelphia brought Wilt Chamberlain home in January 1965, after he spent his first three seasons in the city with the Philadelphia Warriors, to star for the 76ers, sending Connie Dierking, Paul Neumann, Lee Shaffer (who retired right after), and cash to the San Francisco Warriors. And the rest was history.
Chamberlain spent three and a half seasons back in Philly, and in 1966-67 he led the 76ers to their best-ever record, 68-13, and an NBA title after beating his former team, the Warriors, in six games in the 1967 NBA Finals. It was his first championship, and the organization’s first since relocating to Philadelphia.
There was literally no better player to return to Philadelphia and revive what is still regarded as a top basketball city with a passionate fan base. When you trade for a player of Chamberlain’s caliber and win a championship with him, you automatically win that deal.
1. Lakers trade for Luka Dončić, 2025
When you think of trade deadline steals, Luka Dončić is the first player who comes to mind. Everyone thought Shams Charania was hacked when he tweeted that the Mavericks agreed to a trade to send their superstar guard to the Lakers, especially after he revealed what Los Angeles gave up to get him (and Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris): Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick.
A single first-round pick for a player who was 25 at the time and six months removed from leading Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals. Nico Harrison intended for Davis to be the headliner, believing his defensive prowess would help the Mavericks win a championship. AD played only 29 games before Dallas traded him to Washington before the 2026 deadline.
The Lakers were the obvious winners as soon as the trade was reported, as they couldn’t have dreamed up a better scenario. But it’s on them to capitalize on the Mavericks’ mismanagement and win a title with Dončić. Doing so would make this trade the ultimate steal.
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