Not just Luka: Revisiting 10 other blockbuster NBA trades this century

The sporting world was dealt a massive shock late Saturday with news that the Dallas Mavericks had shipped Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster three-team trade that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas.

As the dust settles on a behemoth of a deal, it's not an understatement to consider it one of the biggest-ever NBA trades. Granted, moves for Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Charles Barkley, and others were colossal in their own right, but it's hard to top this in the modern era.

With that in mind, here's a look at 10 of the biggest superstar trades of the 21st century and the impact they had:

Shaquille O'Neal to the Heat (2004)

Friction between then-Lakers stars Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal was the NBA's worst-kept secret. O'Neal won three Finals MVPs as part of a three-peat during eight seasons in Los Angeles, but a loss in the 2004 Finals to the Detroit Pistons was the catalyst for a consequential split: Phil Jackson and the Lakers stuck with Bryant, and O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat.

The 2006 pick turned into Jordan Farmar, who, alongside Lamar Odom, played a vital role in Lakers titles in 2009 and 2010. Caron Butler was eventually shipped to the Washington Wizards in a deal that involved Kwame Brown, who turned out to be a historic bust but was included in the 2008 trade package that brought Pau Gasol to L.A. O'Neal won his fourth title with Dwyane Wade and the Heat in 2006.

Kevin Garnett to the Celtics (2007)

The Boston Celtics could've undergone a traditional rebuild via the draft following a 24-58 mark in 2006-07, the franchise's worst finish in its storied history. Instead, Danny Ainge opted to build around Paul Pierce. First, the Celtics traded for Ray Allen. Then, Kevin Garnett waived his no-trade clause and bid adieu to a 12-year tenure in Minnesota.

Garnett won Defensive Player of the Year and finished third in MVP voting in 2007-08, guiding the Celtics to an NBA Finals title at the expense of the Lakers. Jefferson had a solid three-season spell in Minny. However, the T-Wolves used the two picks in 2009 to not draft Steph Curry. Minnesota instead selected fellow point guards Ricky Rubio and Johnny Flynn with the fifth and sixth picks, respectively. Yikes.

Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks (2011)

The Nuggets also received a pick swap from the T-Wolves in 2016.

Few marriages in NBA history have felt as felicitous as Brooklyn-born Carmelo Anthony's move to the New York Knicks. It was a fitting reward for a midseason trade that witnessed the Knicks fight off interest from the then-New Jersey Nets. Unfortunately for New York, the team only won one playoff series during Anthony's six-and-a-half seasons in the Big Apple.

Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, and Timofey Mozgov all contributed to the Denver Nuggets' 57-win campaign the following season. However, Denver's most notable addition from the 10-player deal ended up being the 2016 pick swap with the T-Wolves: Jamal Murray was selected with the seventh pick.

Kevin Love to the Cavaliers (2014)

Cleveland isn't often confused for a prime vacation destination, but it became a desired landing spot for title-chasing players when LeBron James returned home to join Kyrie Irving and the Cavs. The T-Wolves obliged, sending Kevin Love to Northeast Ohio. Love completed the team's three-headed monster and played a critical role in the Cavs' 2016 championship.

Perhaps the most compelling wrinkle of this trade was Cleveland's inclusion of the 2013 and 2014 first overall picks: Toronto-born duo Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins. Bennett was an instant bust, and Wiggins became the first player since the ABA-NBA merger to be drafted first but not play a single game for the team that selected him. Absolutely ruthless stuff from the Cavs' front office.

Kyrie Irving to the Celtics (2017)

Speaking of Irving, it wasn't long until he grew tired of playing second fiddle to LeBron. He was sent to the Celtics for a haul that included an injured Isaiah Thomas and Brooklyn's coveted unprotected pick from the 2018 draft. Ultimately, the Nets were a bit better than anticipated, and the Cavs selected Collin Sexton at No. 8.

Irving and Boston appeared to be a perfect match. He had a stellar regular season before being ruled out for the 2017-18 playoffs. Then, during a season-ticket-holder event, Irving said "I plan on re-signing here." He'd change his tune in February amid a mercurial season, claiming "I don't owe anybody shit" following a much-publicized chat with Kevin Durant about teaming up. Irving would soon join Durant with the Nets in free agency.

Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors (2018)

Few franchises have experienced endured success like the San Antonio Spurs did for 20-plus years, but cracks in the foundation became apparent as Kawhi Leonard and the organization disagreed over how to manage his quad injury. He played nine games in 2017-18 before a shocking offseason trade to the Toronto Raptors for fan favorite DeMar DeRozan, among others.

In one season with the Raptors, Leonard guided a stacked team to its first and only NBA championship before leaving for the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency. "What if Leonard had stayed" became a common trope after the Raptors finished second in the East in 2019-20 and then bowed out in the Bubble conference semifinals in seven games to the Celtics. Would Toronto have repeated with Leonard in its ranks? There's no way of knowing.

Anthony Davis to the Lakers (2019)

The Pelicans also received a pick swap from the Lakers in 2023.

Like Leonard's trade to the Raptors, Anthony Davis' monstrous move to the Lakers paid immediate dividends: They went from a 37-win team to champions in Davis' first year. Concerns from the Lakers faithful that the team had offloaded too much young talent for an injury-prone big man were immediately quelled.

For the New Orleans Pelicans, obliging Davis' public trade demand and subsequently landing the No. 1 pick and Zion Williamson made sense. So too did the acquisitions of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and a trio of first-rounders. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaxson Hayes, Herb Jones, and Dyson Daniels are among the players the Pelicans acquired either with those picks or through trades using the draft capital. Not bad.

Paul George to the Clippers (2019)

The Thunder also received pick swaps from the Clippers in 2023 and 2025.

In the diverse annals of NBA trades, few, if any, had the transformational impact of Paul George's move to the Clippers. From the Clippers' perspective, George's addition helped lay the foundation for Leonard's free-agent signing. However, their first-ever conference finals run in 2021 would be their zenith before George walked for free to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2024.

Oklahoma City Thunder exec Sam Presti used the trade to amass an arsenal of draft picks. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has risen to the upper echelon of NBA superstars as a perennial MVP candidate, and the Thunder grabbed All-Star Jalen Williams with the Clippers' 2022 pick. Five years on, OKC is in far better shape than the Clippers, largely due to this trade.

James Harden to the Nets (2021)

The Rockets also received pick swaps from the Nets in 2021, 2023, 2025, and 2027.

A year on from adding Durant and Irving, the Nets landed disgruntled Houston Rockets star James Harden. The Rockets made the best of a bad situation - even with gambling on Victor Oladipo - and they were able to acquire Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard with the 2022 and 2024 picks, respectively. The Cavs also succeeded in getting Jarrett Allen for Dante Exum and picks.

A slew of injuries and controversy surrounding vaccine statuses during a pandemic didn't help, but this Nets trifecta was doomed for failure from the start. The trio played together just 16 times before Harden became irritated and demanded a trade. All in all, the Nets shipped out seven picks, an All-Star, and two role players for 80 games from Harden before he forced a blockbuster trade to Philadelphia, where he appeared in 79 contests for the 76ers.

Kevin Durant to the Suns (2023)

The Nets also received pick swaps from the Suns in 2028.

No stranger to seismic player movements, Durant was dealt at the deadline in 2023 despite requesting an offseason trade. If the Nets got burned on the Harden get, they made off like gangbusters in shipping Durant to a Suns organization that fetishizes ill-advised moves. Irving was also traded to the Dallas Mavericks days earlier.

Let's forget all the other moving parts here and view this transaction from the Nets' perspective. Thanks to Mikal Bridges' eventual trade to the Knicks in 2024 for four unprotected picks, Brooklyn has essentially acquired nine first-round picks from 2023 to 2031, a quartet of second-rounders from 2025 to 2030, and two pick swaps in 2028 in exchange for Durant. Should the Nets be able to parlay this draft capital into any form of success, this could rival the Thunder's haul in the George deal.