The Worst Trades in Sports History

Trades are made all the time in sports, and it is unknown at the time how that trade will turn out. When teams make trades they expect or at least hope that they will come out on the winning side. In the case of these five teams that is the opposite of what happened. These are the five worst trades in sports history.

5. Julius Erving Sold For $3 million

The owner of the Long Island Nets at the time, Roy Boe, sold Dr. J to the Philadelphia 76ers for $3 million. The Nets received no players or picks in this trade for a player who went on to become an 11-time All-Star, MVP, and NBA Champion. The deal came as the Nets were entering the NBA from the ABA, which required a $3.2 million entrance fee and a $4.8 million proximity fee.

4. Herschel Walker Involved in Largest Trade in NFL History

The infamous Herschel Walker trade is the largest trade in NFL history. Therefore, it goes down as one of the worst trades in NFL sports history. The Dallas Cowboys sent Walker to the Minnesota Vikings and received five players, three draft picks, and five conditional picks in return. In total, the trade involved 18 players and draft picks.

The Herschel Walker trade still blows my mind… pic.twitter.com/Lvm0AL9WyS

— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) January 7, 2021

Walker never had a 1,000 yard season for the Vikings and only played three seasons there. Now, what did the Cowboys do with their pieces from the trade? They turned two of those draft picks into Hall of Famers Rod Woodson and Emmitt Smith, who went on to win three SuperBowls for the Cowboys.

3. Kyle Korver For a Copy Machine?

Mandatory Credit: Todd Bauders/Icon SMI

In 2003, the New Jersey Nets selected Kyle Korver with the 51st pick in the second round. Later on draft night, they traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers for an undisclosed amount of money.

The Nets used that money to pay the entry fee for their summer league team and then bought a copy machine with the leftover money. No that is not a joke, Korver even joked at his commencement ceremony that his NBA career had outlasted the copy machine.

2. Ricky Williams Traded for the Saints’ Entire Draft

Prior to the 1999 NFL draft New Orleans Saints coach Mike Ditka publicly stated he would do whatever it takes to acquire Williams, even trading their entire draft. That is exactly what happened on Draft Night as the Saints traded up to the fifth pick to select Ricky Williams.

The cost to get him? Their entire 1999 draft which included a first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh-round draft pick. If that isn’t bad enough they also traded a first and third-round pick for the year later.

1. Babe Ruth Involved in Worst Trade in Sports History

Simply, put the worst trade in sports history. In one of the only trades, the Red Sox and Yankees ever made together. The Red Sox traded arguably the greatest baseball player of all time for $100,000 dollars and a loan to finance the No, No, Nanette Musical. The Yankees and Ruth would go on to win seven pennants in his 15 seasons there.