The 2026 NBA offseason has been full of surprises.
Multiple All-Stars have been traded, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Julius Randle, Ja Morant and LaMelo Ball, but none were more surprising than what happened Wednesday.
Read more South Florida donations for Venezuela reach capacity as aid continues to pour in
The Boston Celtics dealt Jaylen Brown, a 10-year veteran and former Finals MVP, to the rival Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for a 36-year-old Paul George and draft picks. The move sent shockwaves across the NBA, with players, analysts and fans scratching their heads at the Celtics’ thought-process.
It wasn’t the first time in recent memory that an NBA trade has stunned social media and shaken up the NBA. With that in mind, here’s a look back at five of the most shocking trades in league history:
5. Chris Paul to the Los Angeles… Clippers?
The deal: Los Angeles Clippers acquire Chris Paul; New Orleans Hornets Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and 2012 first-round pick. The bigger deal, though, was the one that didn’t happen. Paul seemed poised to join the crosstown Lakers before the league, which owned the Hornets at the time, vetoed the trade that would’ve paired him with Kobe Bryant.
The fallout: Paul’s run with the Clippers was the most successful in franchise history. He helped turned the club in a perennial contender out West, but they often fell short in the postseason (topping out in the second round). Paul and Blake Griffin formed an electric duo for six seasons before the point guard was traded to the Houston Rockets in 2017. The Hornets missed the playoffs for three straight seasons but did draft Anthony Davis.
4. Celtics send stars to Nets for draft picks
The deal: Brooklyn Nets acquired Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry; Boston Celtics acquire Gerald Wallace, Keith Bogans, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph, three first-round draft picks and a first-round pick swap.
The fallout: At the time, the Celtics’ decision seemed foolish. None of the players were major contributors for their suddenly rebuilding team, and the Nets seemed too good for the picks to end up being valuable. Well, the veteran club slowly deteriorated and bottomed out, leaving the Celtics with the picks that eventually became Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. This was the trade that rebooted Boston and set Brooklyn back for years.
Read more Caitlin Clark condemns ‘harassment’ as WNBA players face a surge of online threats
3. Thunder deal James Harden to Rockets
The deal: Houston Rockets acquire James Harden, Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward; Oklahoma City Thunder acquire Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, two first-round picks and a second-round pick.
The fallout: Fresh off an NBA Finals loss with three stars under 25, the Thunder looked like the NBA’s next dynasty. But they wouldn’t pay the full rookie max extension for Harden, so they sent him to the Rockets before he could hit restricted free agency in a stunning deal days before the season started. The Thunder never made it back to the Finals with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The Rockets also never reached the big stage, but Harden transformed from a sixth man to a league MVP as Houston became a contender.
2. Jaylen Brown to Philly, Paul George to Boston
The deal: Philadelphia 76ers acquire Jaylen Brown; Boston Celtics acquire Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.
The fallout: We still don’t know how this deal will play out on the court, but the buzz is that this deal heavily favors the Sixers. Time will tell if the Celtics sold Brown at the right time, or if the draft picks end up panning out like they did in the 2013 Nets trade. For now, the Sixers appear to be an East favorite and the Celtics are being pushed down the pecking order.
1. Lakers get Luka Doncic from Mavericks
The deal: Los Angeles Lakers acquire Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris; Dallas Mavericks acquire Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick; Utah Jazz receive Jalen Hood-Schifino and two second-round picks.
The fallout: Like the Celtics-Sixers trade, we’re still waiting for the full picture to be painted from this trade. Unlike Brown, Doncic was never even discussed as a trade target when he was dealt late on a February night before the trade deadline. Then, when you look at the return package, it made this even more stunning. The Mavericks eventually got the first pick with some lottery luck, and the Lakers haven’t gone past the second round in Doncic’s first two seasons. But the Mavs have already traded away Davis and are rebuilding around Cooper Flagg, with GM Nico Harrison fired less than a year after the trade.
Read more Thinking about using fireworks for Fourth of July? Here are the laws and safety rules in Florida