15 Biggest Blockbuster Trades In Sports History

By Jacob Kornhauser

When big-name players switch teams in sports, it’s big news. That, of course, is because a big trade can completely shift the balance of power in a particular sports league. Here are the 15 biggest blockbuster trades to ever go down.

15 Biggest Blockbuster Trades In Sports History

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Manny Has To Be Manny In Los Angeles — Manny Ramirez was a fixture in Boston and was a huge reason why the team ended their long World Series drought in 2004, but he was eventually jettisoned to Los Angeles in a three-team trade. He helped the Dodgers get into the playoffs, then led them to the NLCS before they fell to the eventual World Series champion Phillies.

Terrell Owens Flies Over To Philly — Terrell Owens became a very controversial figure while in San Francisco, but there was no denying his talent. The Eagles realized that and dealt Brandon Whiting for him. Clearly, the 49ers just wanted to get rid of him and Philly took advantage; he went on to have some special years for the Eagles.

Wilt the Stilt Becomes a Laker — Wilt Chamberlain was already established as a superstar when he went to Los Angeles to join the Lakers, which made the trade an even bigger blockbuster. Three players went back to Philadelphia, but none of them ended up having significant careers. Meanwhile, 'Wilt the Stilt' went on to be one of the 10 best players in NBA history.

Rams Send Eric Dickerson to the Colts — While playing for the Los Angeles Rams, Eric Dickerson established himself as a special running back. However, the cruel fate of most running backs is that they fall off after 30. Before that could happen in a Rams uniform, L.A. sent him to the Colts for three players and six draft picks. Clearly, Indy was still sold on his value. He was never the same after the trade, though.

Dr. J "Purchased" By 76ers For $3 Million — When the ABA's New York Nets were trying to earn enough money to make a bid for an NBA team, they decided to trade their best player, Julius Erving, for straight-up cash. The 76ers paid the Nets $3 million for Dr. J and he, of course, went on to have a Hall of Fame career. It doesn't seem like $3 million was nearly enough.

Reds Make Questionable Call Sending Frank Robinson to Baltimore — It's not often that a superstar player is traded in their prime, but that's exactly what happened to Frank Robinson when he was sent from the Reds to the Orioles. The thought was that he would gradually decline as he aged, but that didn't really happen. Baltimore was more than happy to take Robinson off the Reds' hands as he furthered his Hall of Fame career with the Orioles.

LeSean McCoy and Kiko Alonso Swap Eastern Cities — The most recent blockbuster trade to go down involved the Eagles sending their best offensive player, LeSean McCoy, to the Bills for Buffalo's best defensive player, Kiko Alonso. This trade hasn't worked out particularly well for either team as both players are dealing with injuries. Alonso is still battling back from multiple training camp injuries while McCoy could miss up to a month with his hamstring injury. One can only hope both get back on the field and start dominating again.

Celtics Prove "Anything is Possible" By Landing Garnett — It's very rare even in blockbuster deals for one trade to make such a big difference, but the acquisition of Kevin Garnett by the Celtics completely changed their fortunes. They sent five players and two picks to the T'Wolves and it was well worth it. Garnett and Co. won the NBA Finals in 2008.

Tigers Land Best Hitter of Generation in Miguel Cabrera — The Marlins were used to having to trade their best players to shed payroll, but this one had to hurt. Miami (then Florida) sent their best hitter, Miguel Cabrera, and one of their best pitchers, Dontrelle Willis, to Detroit for six players. All Miggy has done since going to Detroit is continue hitting home runs while becoming the first player to win the Triple Crown since 1968. This will be remembered as a trade that sent a first-ballot Hall of Famer to new home.

Kid Griffey Moves to Cincinnati — Ken Griffey Jr. took the league by storm when he broke into the majors and nobody really saw this blockbuster coming. The Mariners sent Kid Griffey to Cincinnati for four players and the Reds would not regret the decision. While Griffey was injured all the time with the Reds, he continued to be a superstar when healthy. In fact, if he stayed healthy, he could've been the all-time home run king. Even though he doesn't have that distinction, he is now remembered for being a Red more so than a Mariner.

Mark McGwire is Sent to the Cardinals — It had been a long time coming, but the Athletics finally traded Mark McGwire to the Cardinals in 1997. That changed St. Louis' fortunes and it may have been the trade that saved baseball. In the 1998 season, with MLB ratings dwindling, he and Chicago Cub rival Sammy Sosa went on a thrilling home run race that helped renew interest in the sport. Despite the ensuing steroid scandal, this trade set the stage for that famous race.

Future Scoring King Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Goes to L.A. — After establishing himself with the Milwaukee Bucks, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was ready for the bright lights of L.A. It was perfect, then, when he was traded to the Lakers along with Walt Wesley for four players. Of course, he continued his domination of the boards and on the scoring sheet while playing for the Lakers as he eventually became the NBA's all-time leading scorer.

A-Rod Comes to the Bronx — The Rangers finally reached a point where they couldn't afford A-Rod anymore, so they sent him to the one team that could, the Yankees. In return, they got Alfonso Soriano and Joaquin Arias, so all in all, they didn't make out too badly. Meanwhile, the Yankees have been taken on a roller coaster ride with Rodriguez over the years. They have a World Series title with him on the roster, but he has been a huge distraction as well. One thing is for sure: the Yankees got one of the best hitters of all time in this deal.

Herschel Walker Traded to Vikings For a Small Village — In one of the most shocking deals of all time, the Vikings traded what seemed like their entire team for Herschel Walker. The final damage to Minnesota was five players and eight draft picks. Dallas was able to use these players and picks to rebuild. Walker was never really the same in Minnesota, but they still got two and a half years of decent running back play. Still, it likely wasn't worth the haul they gave up.

'The Great One' Finds a New Home in Los Angeles — We almost never see the best player in a given sport get traded in their prime, but that's exactly what happened to Wayne Gretzky when he was sent to the Kings from the Oilers for two players, three first-round picks and $15 million. The Great One would play for more teams over the years, but this trade altered his career more so than any other moment, likely for the better. Even though he didn't win any Stanley Cups in L.A., he helped establish hockey on the West Coast, which laid the foundation for the modern NHL.

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