Who are the best players ever traded that weren’t looking to be traded?

[Fan from VT]

rasheed to Atl.

shaq to miami

[bdm860]

I know we're talking recent history, and I don't know the circumstances of each deal, but the best non-draft picks to ever be traded have to include:

Wilt
Oscar Robertson
Kareem
Moses Malone

All won titles after they were traded, I believe.

Hey any part of history is works for me.

I know Kareem asked to be traded.

And Wilt was like Shaq switching teams, Wilt was the one basically calling the shots.

Not sure about Moses or Oscar though (I'm sure somebody here knows the particulars though).

[Who]

Pau Gasol -- he didn't ask to be traded did he? Can't remember.

Well, I think he said he didn't want to sign an extension.  So, not exactly asking to be traded, but close.

I don't remember anything like that.

I searched on Google for that and found nothing + Pau's contract at the time wasn't up until 2011. It was only the 2007/08 season. They couldn't even offer him a contract yet.

Pau Gasol -- he didn't ask to be traded did he? Can't remember.

There was a lot of speculation on where he was going before LA landed him. I think he asked.

My memory of that was there were a lot of trade rumours because Memphis were losing and Pau Gasol was being blamed for that. That he wasn't good enough to lead a franchise and that Memphis needed to trade him and rebuild.
 
There were a lot of rumours over the previous 18 months (before the Lakers trade happened) but he was never moved ... in large part because I don't think he ever asked for a trade. I'm not certain though.

[Fafnir]

rasheed to Atl.

shaq to miami

Shaq demanded an extension, when LA said no to that he basically insisted on a trade at that point.

[Who]

I know we're talking recent history, and I don't know the circumstances of each deal, but the best non-draft picks to ever be traded have to include:

Wilt
Oscar Robertson
Kareem
Moses Malone

All won titles after they were traded, I believe.

Hey any part of history is works for me.

I know Kareem asked to be traded.

And Wilt was like Shaq switching teams, Wilt was the one basically calling the shots.

Not sure about Moses or Oscar though (I'm sure somebody here knows the particulars though).

Pretty sure Oscar Robertson demanded a trade and forced his way out of Cincinnati.

Moses Malone was a free agent, traded but via free agency, when he joined the Sixers.

[BballTim]

  Kobe for Divac.

Well, if we are talking draft picks and stuff



The trade the brought Parish and Mchale.

  Parsing here, but Kobe was drafted before he was traded, McHale was drafted after we traded for his pick.

[bdm860]

I know we're talking recent history, and I don't know the circumstances of each deal, but the best non-draft picks to ever be traded have to include:

Wilt
Oscar Robertson
Kareem
Moses Malone

All won titles after they were traded, I believe.

Hey any part of history is works for me.

I know Kareem asked to be traded.

And Wilt was like Shaq switching teams, Wilt was the one basically calling the shots.

Not sure about Moses or Oscar though (I'm sure somebody here knows the particulars though).

Pretty sure Oscar Robertson demanded a trade and forced his way out of Cincinnati.

Moses Malone was a free agent, traded but via free agency, when he joined the Sixers.

This is per wikipedia  (but the Oscar Robertson facts are actually sourced  )

It looks like Moses Malone was kind of a sign-and-trade type deal.

With Houston rebuilding their roster, the Rockets allowed restricted free agent Malone to explore options in the free agency market. He signed an offer sheet with the Philadelphia 76ers on September 2. Houston then exercised its right of first refusal and matched the offer, only to trade Malone to the 76ers on September 15 for Caldwell Jones and their 1983 first-round draft choice.

Now Oscar Robertson might take the cake, but it's gonna make our boy Cousy look bad (again from wikipedia):

Prior to the 1970–71 season, the Royals stunned the basketball world by trading Robertson to the Milwaukee Bucks for Flynn Robinson and Charlie Paulk. Officially, no reasons were named, but many pundits suspected head coach Bob Cousy was jealous of all the attention Robertson was getting.[3] Robertson himself said: "I think he [Cousy] was wrong and I will never forget it."[3]

[RebusRankin]

Earl Monroe to the Knicks? Pete Maravich to New Orleans.

[LilRip]

  Kobe for Divac.

didn't Kobe ask to be traded when he was drafted? i know he wanted to play for the Lakers no matter what.

[Fan from VT]

What about the various Mitch Richmond/Chris Webber trades?

[Fan from VT]

Gary Payton?

btw-
I Like this idea, but I wouldn't include draft picks. I'm picturing it as an established player thinking they are the 'face' of the franchise, and not asking to be traded, then BAM! Traded. Like Antoine Walker, right?

[tenn_smoothie]

Cedric Maxwell to Clippers - we're talking about a starter and finals mvp who was considered a cornerstone of the franchise after the '81 title.

[slamtheking]

Gary Payton?

btw-
I Like this idea, but I wouldn't include draft picks. I'm picturing it as an established player thinking they are the 'face' of the franchise, and not asking to be traded, then BAM! Traded. Like Antoine Walker, right?

beat me to it [dang] it 

thought of the first Antoine deal immediately.  maybe not so much from the best player ever to be traded but you knew he didn't want to go after calling Danny a Snake

[2short]

Cedric Maxwell to Clippers - we're talking about a starter and finals mvp who was considered a cornerstone of the franchise after the '81 title.

the thing is he would have been a disgruntled sub at that point, nothing against max but he was really an undersized pf or sf who played on the post, we did really well with that trade
tp for the thread by the way
the big o was traded because cooz and he didn't see eye to eye at all, hard to say whos at fault but bob never did make it as a coach 
How about paul westphal, bob mcadoo (spelling?), alvin robertson, dennis johnson!, hmm tough to remember who was traded or free agents
dr j to the sixers from nets count?

[tenn_smoothie]

Paul Westphal to Suns in '75 and Charley Scott in return - not a starter but a future star - if Red decides to pay Chaney and Silas and we keep Westphal as a super 6th man, that group hangs at least one more banner. (though i always appreciated Charley Scott's love for the Celtics).

Paul Silas to Celtics in '72 though i'm sure he was very happy to be heading to Boston to play for titles alongside Dave Cowens.

likewise, Dennis Johnson had to have been pleased to be coming to Boston where it seemed he always belonged - we still love you DJ, God Speed.

Jabbar to the Lakers ?? tho i suppose he had the big brood going on for a few seasons in milwaukee because the town didn't measure up to his ecletic social and artistic requirements - what a pompous jerk.