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The Dallas Mavericks shocked the world on Saturday, making the still-unbelievable decision to trade superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s probably one of the most shocking trades in the history of sports, which got us thinking about the most shocking trades in the history of Boston sports.
Let’s discuss, shall we?
Rodriguez is now one of the biggest villains in Boston’s long and illustrious sports history, but there was once a time when he seemed destined to become the city’s biggest star.
The Red Sox had a deal in place to acquire the superstar shortstop from the Texas Rangers back in 2004, but it eventually fell through due to the MLBPA’s refusal to accept an amendment to his contract. The Yankees then swooped in to get a deal done, being motivated to pull the trigger after third baseman Aaron Boone tore his knee up playing pickup basketball — a truly shocking outcome at the time.
Garnett and Allen were technically acquired in two separate trades, but one quite literally needed to happen before the other.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns were initially at the forefront of the sweepstakes to acquire the former, who had to sign off on any potential deal away from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Celtics weren’t viewed as a legitimate option but found themselves in contention after acquiring Ray Allen from the Seattle SuperSonics. KG then reevaluated things and signed off on a deal to make a new Big Three.
Moss was the best wide receiver in the NFL, but two disappointing seasons with the Oakland Raiders (and some off-field troubles) forced him down the list of desirable trade targets. The Patriots weren’t scared of a challenge, though, and traded a fourth-round pick for the wideout who would go on to have the greatest season in the history of the position.
Garnett’s career in Boston both started and ended with shocking trades.
The Celtics were coming off three conference finals appearances in six seasons by the time 2013-14 came around, but it was evident that Garnett and Pierce’s best days were behind them. The Nets hadn’t been informed, however, and made the shocking decision to trade a bunch of scrubs and the rights to four first-round picks in return, which essentially accelerated the rebuild in Boston.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum turned out to be pretty decent.
The Red Sox had to get out from underneath the albatross contracts they signed Beckett, González and Crawford to by the time 2012 rolled around, and they did it in a really creative way.
The Dodgers were willing to take on big money even back then,...
