Worst Kings Trades of All-Time?

Wednesday’s deal with the Bulls got me to thinking: what were some of the worst trades in Kings history?  And does any of Geoff Petrie’s recent handiwork match up?

Back in the early days in Sactown, horrible trades were as much an annual routine as Draft Lottery disappointment.  The front office could do little with draft picks at six or seven year after year, so eventually the Kings would resort to a mid-season Hail Mary pass or a summertime splash in the trade market.  Sometimes this was fun, such as when we landed Tizzy or Danny Ainge, and of course our fortunes finally began to turn with the Mitch Richmond-Billy Owens exchange.  But for the most part this strategy failed spectacularly and probably for many of the same reasons the draft selections flopped back then.  These deals comprise most of my list of the Sacramento-era’s worst ever.  

My least favorites, in no particular order:

Mike Woodson, Larry Drew, and a 1988 #1 to LAC for Derek Smith, Franklin Edwards, and Junior Bridgeman (1986).

Worst deal of the Sacramento era.  We all know the story.  The inaugural Kings played better than .500 ball down the stretch and went to the playoffs.  This off-season deal disrupted that team and ushered in a decade-long playoff drought.  Smith (God rest his soul) was never the star management hoped he’d be when they saw him put up 36 on Opening Night.

Worse, the pick the Kings dealt to the Clips went #6 in 1988 and became Hersey Hawkins.  To make up for it, the Kings acquired the Hawks #18 pick for an aging Reggie Theus, which was looking like a phenomenal trade for the Kings until the Unspeakable Tragedy.

Eddie Johnson to the Suns for Ed Pinckney (1987)

The theory here was that Pinckney was more of a defender and the Kings needed more defense, in the Bill Russell mold of course.  Didn’t really pan out that way, but on the positive side the Kings managed with that trade and their '86 draft choice to reunite the key stars from Villanova’s upset over Georgetown in 1985.  EJ went on to star in Phoenix as a 3-point specialist and raked in a Sixth Man of the Year award in 1989.

Danny Ainge to Portland for Byron Irvin and the dead-last pick in the first round (Pete Chilcutt) (1990)
Ainge was an absolute stud for the Kings, which meant in those days they couldn’t hang on to him long.  He later provided vital help to the Blazers backcourt during the Adelman glory days.  Word was that the Kings held out for Irvin after the Blazers offered Drazen Petrovic.  Irvin probably had less impact on the Kings than Sam Cassell.  Chilcutt didn’t do much either, but earned special distinction by nabbing the hottest Kings dancer ever to grace the Arco hardwood (ahem).  Yep, the Kings got hosed in this one by… Portland’s Geoff Petrie.

Chris Webber, Matt Barnes, and Michael Bradley to the Sixers for Kenny Thomas, Corliss Williamson, and Brian Skinner (2005).

I liked this trade at first, and I admit it still makes a lot of sense financially for the ownership who saved tens of millions.  But seeing how K9’s contract has Gilhoolied the franchise I think this trade makes the list.  Without so much focus on the K9 anvil around their necks, the Kings arguably would have expired Brad last season, expired Salmons this season, with no crappy Nocioni contract and maybe an extra pick or two.  Instead the Kings lost multiple years in the rebuilding process while waiting for Kenny to “earn” his cash.   

Honorable Mention:  Rodney McCray to Dallas for two first-round draft choices (1990).  On its face this looked like a great deal, unless you used those draft picks on Travis Mays and Duane Causwell.

Not on this list: I didn’t include the Otis Thorpe to Houston for McCray and Jim Petersen deal – a major fan grievance at the time – simply because I was never a big fan of Thorpe.  To me he was living proof that a guy could gobble up stats and not help his team much.  Maybe they should have called him Thorp’e.  I did like Rodney McCray who we got in return though, a real versatile player and a team guy at least on the court.

Also I didn’t include the infamous Petersen for Ralph Sampson deal because as Jerry Reynolds points out in his book, both guys were due to make about the same amount of money and neither was particularly effective, though Sampson considerably less so.  Jerry, this one is for you.

And I’ve left off Wednesday’s big deal with the Bulls.  It has many defenders on this site and ultimately time will tell.  But this is one Kings fan fighting through the sheer disappointment that we could not manage to give away Brad Miller and John Salmons without taking back another lousy contract.  Now we have 1/3 of our salary cap committed long-term to…Nocioni, Cisco, and Beno.  Brutal.  Hope I'm wrong though. 

Just one fan’s humble opinion.  Thoughts?