Trading First Overall Pick In NBA Draft: What History Tells Us

2014: Cavaliers Trade Andrew Wiggins To Minnesota

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The Cavaliers were in win-now mode after LeBron James returned that summer, making it easier for them to justify trading the highly touted Wiggins for Kevin Love. Although recent rumors have the Cavs shopping Love in hopes of acquiring another star wing player like Paul George or Jimmy Butler, there's no question that this trade worked out well for Cleveland, with three consecutive trips to the NBA Finals and a championship in 2016. Wiggins wouldn't have been ready to contribute to a championship run in his first three seasons, and he provided the Timberwolves with their first true rebuilding block. After adding Zach LaVine in 2014 and Karl-Anthony Towns in 2015, the Timberwolves are one of the more exciting young teams in the league.

1993: Magic Trade Chris Webber To Golden State

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Orlando held the first overall pick but already had Shaquille O'Neal while the Warriors viewed Webber as the big man they had been needing for a long time. Golden State made an offer that the Magic couldn't refuse: Webber for Penny Hardaway, whom the Warriors took third overall, plus three first-round picks. The Magic went to the NBA Finals just two years later, but Webber ended up being the better long-term player as Hardaway struggled with injuries. Webber's best years didn't come for the Warriors, as he forced a trade at the start of his second NBA season because of a conflict with coach Don Nelson. It's hard to criticize the Magic for making this trade since they acquired three future firsts (with one of them turning into Mike Miller) just to drop down two spots and pick the player they admired all along.

1986: 76ers Trade Top Pick (Brad Daugherty) To Cleveland

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The 76ers were coming off a 54-win season and had a roster that featured Charles Barkley. With Julius Erving heading into his final season and owner Harold Katz intent on unloading Moses Malone, you would think that adding the first overall pick would be a great way to stabilize the team's future. The Sixers thought differently and pulled off two major trades just before the draft. One sent the No. 1 pick to Cleveland for Roy Hinson and $800,000, a large amount of money at the time for the NBA. Cleveland selected North Carolina center Brad Daugherty, who went on to become a five time All-Star in his eight seasons with the Cavaliers. Hinson lasted less than two seasons in Philadelphia before being packaged in a deal with New Jersey that sent Mike Gminski to the 76ers.

1980: Celtics Trade Top Pick (Joe Barry Carroll) To Golden State

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If you're a Boston fan who is unhappy about this week's trade with Philadelphia, take solace that the last time the Celtics dealt the first overall pick, everything worked out great. The Warriors selected Purdue center Joe Barry Carroll. The Celtics got Robert Parish and the No. 3 overall pick, which they used to take Kevin McHale. With the front line of Larry Bird, McHale and Parish, Boston made five NBA Finals and won three championships in the 1980s.

There were other two instances of the first overall draft pick being traded, and both came in the 1950s. Based on these four modern cases, only the 76ers in 1986 would want a do-over.

The one certainty about this year's Celtics-76ers trade is that Philadelphia now has one of the most exciting and dynamic young cores in the NBA, with Fultz joining Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid to form a potential big three. For the Celtics, this trade could be another step in the pursuit of a trade for a star player as it gives Danny Ainge an additional asset.