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It is the season of giving, a time to spread some holiday cheer. And even though all of these deals did not take place in late December, they were so lopsided as to be considered gifts from one team to another. So, here the top gifts one pro sports team unknowingly gave to another. Happy Holidays!
Photo: AP in English
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River Plate transfers Radamel Falcao to Porto (2011): Falcao showed great promise at River Plate, scoring 35 goals in his final two seasons there, before he was transferred to Porto for 3.93 million Euros, in addition to 1.5 million for his residual rights. Falcao scored three times in his first four matches with the Portuguese club, and he finished the season as the second-leading scorer in the league with 25 goals. The following season, he set a Europa League record with 17 goals in 14 matches and led Porto to the title.
Photo: Getty Images
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Lakers acquire Pau Gasol from Grizzlies (2008): At the time, this was regarded as one of the biggest steals in NBA history, though the trade doesn't look as bad seeing how Memphis got Pau's little brother Marc in the deal. But Gasol was traded for his brother, notorious No. 1 bust Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, and first-round picks in 2008 and 2010, which turned into Donte Green and Greivis Vazquez, who is, along with Marc Gasol, the only player still on the roster from that trade. And the Lakers? With Pau in the frontcourt alongside Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, they won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.
Photo: Getty Images
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Nordiques trade Eric Lindros to Philadelphia Flyers (1992): This was a trade where the team that dealt the player ended up benefitting the most. Lindros was a fine player, NHL MVP in 1994, led the Flyers to one Stanley Cup Final. But he was also injury-prone, and seemingly always at odds with Flyers management. Oh, and Philly never did win a Stanley Cup with him there. The Nordiques (soon to become the Colorado Avalanche) received Steve Duschene, Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Kerry Huffman, Mike Ricci, Chris Simon, two draft picks and $15 million. Forsberg, Ricci and Simon were some of the pieces the Avalanche would ride to two Stanley Cup championships, and when it was all said and done, Forsberg ended up being the best player in the deal -- Lindros included.
Photo: AP in English
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Falcons trade Brett Favre to Packers (1991): Favre was a benchwarmer for the Falcons when he was traded in 1991 for the Packers' 19th overall pick, which turned out to be the forgettable Tony Smith. Favre's career ended up as anything but, as he won three straight MVP awards and led the Packers to eight division titles, four NFC Championship games and a title in Super Bowl XXXI. Oh, and he also holds every major career passing record in NFL history.
Photo: AP in English
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Cowboys trade Herschel Walker to Vikings (1989): The Dallas Cowboys were in transition, going from Tom Landry to Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones, and the main reason Johnson and Jones were able to hoist Super Bowl titles was this trade. In 1989, Dallas traded Walker for five players, six conditional draft choices and a 1992 first-round pick. Two of the draft choices turned into Emmitt Smith and Darren Woodson, two key players who helped form the Dallas dynasty foundation. And Walker? Minnesota traded for him to compete for a Super Bowl, but even though he had two straight 1,000-yard seasons for the Vikings, Minnesota never won a playoff game during his tenure.
Photo: AP in English
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Seattle trades rights to Scottie Pippen (1987): On draft day, the Bulls traded their eighth pick, center Olden Polynice, a second-round pick and the option to switch picks in 1989 for Pippen, the fifth choice, and finally found a player who could complement Michael Jordan. The Bulls went on to win six NBA titles, and Pippen was named one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all-time. Polynice ended up an NBA journeyman who played for five teams in a 15-year career.
Photo: AP in English
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Colts trade John Elway to Broncos (1983): Elway let it be known he would not play for the Baltimore Colts, so the team traded his rights in exchange for quarterback Mark Hermann, lineman Chris Hinton and a first-round pick in the 1984 draft, which turned out to be Ron Solt. Elway led the Broncos to two Super Bowl titles in five appearances, and became one of the legendary figures of his era. Hermann played just five games for the Colts and was never a full-time starter in his career, Hinton played seven seasons with the Colts and was a seven-time Pro Bowler in his 13-year career, and Solt spent his first five seasons with the Colts.
Photo: AP in English
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Warriors trade Robert Parish and first-round pick (Kevin McHale) to the Boston Celtics (1980): The Celtic dynasty was reborn in 1980, when Red Auerbach traded the No. 1 and No. 13 picks in the draft for the rights to Parish and the No. 3 overall choice, which they used to select Kevin McHale. Together with Larry Bird, McHale and Parish helped comprise the best frontcourt in the NBA and won three NBA titles, while the Warriors selected Joe Barry Carroll with the first pick and Ricky Brown with the 13th choice. Carroll averaged more than 20 points a game in four of his 6+ years in Golden State, but only led the team to the playoffs once. Brown lasted just five seasons and never averaged more than 6 points per game.
Photo: AP in English
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Nets sell Dr. J to Sixers (1976): In the dying days of the ABA, desperate Nets owner Roy Boe sold Julius Erving (left) for $3 million to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Nets, who had won back-to-back ABA championships with the 'Doc' leading them, would not be a contender until the early 2000s, while Erving led the Sixers to four NBA finals, was an 11-time All-Star, the 1981 MVP and won a championship with the team in 1983.
Photo: AP in English
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Reds trade Frank Robinson to Orioles (1965): Reds general manager Bill DeWitt, calling Robinson 'an old 30,' traded him to the Orioles for pitchers Milt Pappas and Jack Baldschun, and outfielder Dick Simpson. The trio lasted a total of 6 1/2 seasons in Cincinnati, while Robinson won the Triple Crown and MVP award in his very first season with Baltimore, and helped lead the O's to two World Series titles and four appearances in the Fall Classic.
Photo: AP in English
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Red Sox sell Babe Ruth to New York Yankees (1920): And finally, the grandaddy of all lopsided deals. Boston owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth to the Yankees for $100,000 and a $300,000 loan to help finance the play, 'No, no, Nanette.' The Red Sox, who had won five World Series titles up until 1918, did not win another one for 86 years, while the Yankees have won 27 -- their first four with the Bambino, who went on to become the greatest player in the game.
Photo: AP in English
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It is the season of giving, a time to spread some holiday cheer. And even though all of these deals did not take place in late December, they were so lopsided as to be considered gifts from one team to another. So, here the top gifts one pro sports team unknowingly gave to another. Happy Holidays!
Photo: AP in English
