For every great trade in the NBA, there are some real stinkers. Here are seven of the worst NBA trades of the past ten years.

Bad Isaiah Thomas Trades

In 2011, Isaiah Thomas was chosen by the Sacramento Kings as the final pick of the draft. After three seasons, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns. But it didn't last long, partially due to an ankle injury that kept him out of eight games.

In 2015, he was traded to the Boston Celtics, where his career started looking up. He was an NBA All Star in 2016 and 2017 and was given All-NBA Team honors for the 2016-17 season. During this same season, he led the team to the Eastern Conference's number one seed.

Cavaliers Trade Kyrie Irving to the Celtics

In this trade, Isaiah Thomas is on the other side of the trade. In 2017, the Boston Celtics traded him, along with two others, for Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Unfortunately, Thomas had some issues with his hip, including arthritis and loss of cartilage. While the Cavaliers held out hope that he would be back on the court by the end of the year, in December 2017, Thomas suited up for the first time with the Cavaliers but did not play in the game against the Chicago Bulls.

The next month, Thomas debuted for the Cavs. He scored 17 points in just 19 minutes, with the Cavaliers beating the Portland Trail Blazers by 17 points. A few days later, he scored 19 points and had four assists in a win over the Orlando Magic.

Kyrie Irving was named Rookie of the Year while with the Cavaliers and was the first overall draft choice in the NBA draft of 2011. He won an NBA championship with the Cavs in 2016 but was traded for a package deal that included Thomas.

Pacers Trade Kawhi Leonard to Spurs for George Hill

Kawhi Leonard was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in the 2011 NBA draft, but was traded to the San Antonio Spurs for George Hill.

Leonard has, so far, accumulated 8,811 points, 3,123 rebounds, and 1,231 assists in his stellar career. He has been chosen as the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP for two years, NBA Defensive Player of the Year three years in a row, and won the ESPY Award for Best Championship Performance.

James Harden Gets Traded to the Rockets

In the 2009 NBA draft, James Harden was the third overall pick, going to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He helped them reach the NBA finals in 2012 and was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year that same year. In October 2012, the Thunder announced that they had traded Harden for two players and some future picks. Harden would be going to the Houston Rockets.

Just 23 when he joined the Rockets, Harden has been to five All-Star games, has twice been an MVP runner-up, and is a three-time All-NBA member. He has led Houston to two Western Conference finals.

In 2017, Harden helped the Rocket defeat his former team in the playoffs. This was a bitter reminder to Thunder fans of what could have been.

Clippers Trade Away Kyrie Irving Pick

During the 2011 NBA trade, there were some game-changing trades made, including the Denver Nuggets trading Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups to the New York Knicks. But the trade that made the biggest difference was between two teams that were struggling to survive.

The Los Angeles Clippers and the Cleveland Cavaliers agreed to a trade. The Clippers wanted to get rid of Baron Davis and the contract he had not made good on. In exchange, they got Mo Williams and the expiring contract for Jamario Moon. To even up the trade, the Clippers gave the Cavaliers their first-round pick in the draft to follow.

With this unprotected first-round pick, the Cavaliers chose Kyrie Irving. As discussed before, Irving went on to have a stellar career with the Cavaliers. The Clippers lost out on the chance to have Irving playing, and winning, for them in an ill-advised effort to rise from their place as the eighth worst team in the NBA.

Nets Lose Out on Damian Lillard

In 2012, as the trade deadline neared, the New Jersey Nets decided to make a play for Gerald Wallace of the Portland Trail Blazers. Wallace was averaging 13.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game at the time, and the Nets traded a first-round pick to get him.

Damian Lillard was the player selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2012 NBA draft. He was chosen unanimously as the Rookie of the Year for the NBA. He has gone on to be selected NBA All-Star four times.

Nets Trade Away Their Future

In 2013, the Brooklyn Nets made a trade for forward Kevin Garnett, forward Paul Pierce, and reserve guard Jason Terry with the Boston Celtics. In return, the Celtics received Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, two other players, and the first-round draft picks for 2014, 2016, and 2018.

This seemed like a good deal at first, which included future Hall of Famers. But, in the long term, the Celtics got some really great choices with their draft picks.