The art of rebuilding in the NBA hinges on two things: tanking (the easy part) and drafting (where GMs earn their paychecks). But some teams didn’t just miss on picks—they traded away legends. Here’s the six most painful draft-day blunders in league history.  

 6. 2006 Bulls: LaMarcus Aldridge for Tyrus Thomas  

�� The Move: Traded the No. 2 pick (Aldridge) for Thomas + a 2nd-rounder.  

�� The Aftermath: Aldridge became a 7x All-Star; Thomas flamed out as a bench player.  

�� Irony: Chicago needed a skilled big to pair with Ben Wallace… and chose athleticism over skill.  

 5. 2011 Pacers: Kawhi Leonard for George Hill  

�� Context: Indy had Danny Granger and Paul George, so they dealt Kawhi for a "win-now" guard.  

�� Oops: Granger got injured, George needed help vs. LeBron’s Heat… while Kawhi won FMVP locking LeBron up in 2014.  

 4. 1998 Bucks: Dirk Nowitzki for Robert "Tractor" Traylor  

�� The Logic: Milwaukee wanted a bruising big (Traylor) over a "soft" Euro (Dirk).  

�� Reality: Traylor averaged 4.8 PPG; Dirk became a Top-20 all-time player.  

(Bonus fail: The "throw-in" 19th pick, Pat Garrity, outplayed Traylor too.)  

 3. 1987 Sonics: Scottie Pippen for Olden Polynice  

�� The Setup: Seattle (picking 5th) wanted a center, so they helped Chicago land Pippen at 7.  

�� The Fallout: Polynice averaged 4.6 PPG; Pippen became Jordan’s Hall of Fame wingman.  

 2. 1996 Hornets: Kobe Bryant for Vlade Divac  

�� Short-Term "Win": Divac helped Charlotte win 54 games (still a franchise record).  

�� Long-Term Pain: Kobe became a 5x champ, 2x scoring king, and Lakers icon.  

 1. 1956 Hawks: Bill Russell for… Literally Anything Else  

�� The Stupidest Deal Ever:  

- Russell was college basketball’s most dominant force (20/20, 2x NCAA titles).  

- Hawks traded him for two role players (Macauley & Hagan).  

- Result: Russell won 11 titles in 13 years for Boston; Hawks got one ring without him.  

(Fun fact: Royals passed on Russell at No. 1 because Celtics bribed them with a ice show revenue deal.)  

 Why These Deals Still Hurt  

- Tanking is pointless if you whiff on the pick (or trade a future MVP).  

- "Fit over talent" is a dangerous game (see: Bucks passing on Dirk).  

- Legends hide in plain sight (Kobe at 13, Kawhi at 15).  

Which trade hurt the most? Vote below! �� NBA DraftFails GMRegrets  

(Viral hooks:)  

�� "The Hornets traded Kobe… for ONE good season."  

�� "Bucks thought Dirk was ‘soft’—then he dropped 30,000 points."  

�� "Russell for ice show tickets? The wildest deal in sports history."