NBA Trades That Accidentally Saved Their Careers

Andy Hoops

Play Underdog's Keep Your Million! https://play.underdogsports.com/vgwg/p-andy In this video, we take a look at some trades that unintentionally saved the careers of these NBA players. contact@tablerock.com  I make all kinds of long-form NBA content which include player stories, analysis, breakdowns, and historical topics. Make sure to leave a like and subscribe if you enjoyed this video! ► X: https://www.x.com/@andyhoopsyt ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andyhoopsyt ► Music:  Rynos Theme by Kevin MacLeod Black Vortex by Kevin MacLeod Movement Proposition by Kevin MacLeod Lightless Dawn by Kevin MacLeod Sardana by Kevin MacLeod Super Power Cool Dude by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 (incompetech.com) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ► Sources: Stats and box-scores from Basketball-Reference.com, NBA.com, Statmuse.com, PBPstats.com #nba

Transcript

00:00Imagine a player who's been not exactly at risk of falling out of the league, but their careers hit a

00:05brick wall and something needed to change.

00:07But then, they join a new team and experience an unexpected resurgence.

00:12Think of Lowry Markkanen, from a lost cause in Chicago and Cleveland where he was on a tight leash, to

00:17Utah, where he exploded into a star in his first season there.

00:21Or Andrew Wiggins, who had a polarizing time in Minnesota where every critic was frothing at the mouths when he

00:27didn't live up to his hype.

00:28His image needed to be rehabilitated, and no one thought the trade to Golden State could fix that.

00:34But it surprisingly did.

00:44For some, a single trade led to the best years they've ever had, even if that wasn't the intention to

00:50begin with.

00:51That's the theme of this video. Let's take a look at players who accidentally saved their own careers immediately after

00:57a trade.

00:59Markkanen points to the corner. He wants ISO. They come by with Booker for help.

01:02Got it! Got it!

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02:01Alright, let's get back to the video.

02:05When Dylan Brooks landed in Phoenix, this was a massive game changer.

02:09Honestly, you could also say his previous trade from Memphis to Houston also helped change the direction of his career

02:15for the better.

02:16But when the Kevin Durant blockbuster happened, Brooks was nothing but a mere throw-in to match salaries,

02:22as the trade mostly centered around Jalen Green and draft compensation to help the Suns build for the future.

02:27These are what the Suns targeted.

02:29However, Brooks has always been a vengeful person,

02:33and he becomes more motivated and more determined to succeed when there's something on the line.

02:37This time, it was to crush his doubters again.

02:40But more importantly, coming to Phoenix at 30 years of age,

02:43he needed to ball out and prove he deserves to be finally taken seriously.

02:47Which, if we're being real, he rarely was before.

02:50That would all change.

02:53Priority of defense. That's what makes you get to the playoffs, what makes you win games.

02:58While Brooks had been known as a defensive pest and instigator for much of his career,

03:03he immediately asserted his dominance as the team's secondary offensive option.

03:07This wasn't completely out of the ordinary,

03:09as Brooks had been a moderately high-volume scorer in his younger days.

03:12But it was the Suns' transformation defensively that shocked even more.

03:17Brooks has the reputation of being a great defender,

03:20but going from near-dead last in defense to top 10 is an insane jump that not even the team

03:25expected.

03:26In preseason interviews, that was his main goal, to lead this team to a better defense.

03:32He had several goals, actually.

03:34For a while, he didn't like being labeled as the bad guy of the sport,

03:37or the villain persona that the media forced upon him.

03:40Which was bad in Memphis, but got even worse in Houston.

03:44Remember during the 2025 playoffs,

03:47when there was footage that he was trying to hit Steph Curry's hand that was already injured?

03:51Yeah, it was quite controversial back then.

03:54A normal player would have gotten the benefit of the doubt, but not Brooks.

03:58Few players had as polarizing of an image as him.

04:01But after the trade, he's found a way to channel this into a leadership role instead.

04:06Suns coach Jordan Ott continuously praised his impact not just on the court, but in the locker room.

04:12Brooks took a step up and became the voice that everyone listens to now,

04:15and emphasized camaraderie and looking after each other.

04:18The us-versus-them mentality is still very much there,

04:21but for the Suns, maybe this is what they were missing all along.

04:24A player to give them an edge.

04:27Next up, Emmanuel Quigley barely escapes New York.

04:32As a player who spent his first three and a half seasons in New York,

04:35Quigley was a victim of pretty unfortunate timing.

04:38He joined the league around the time Julius Randle started to take over the reins as the leading man,

04:43and the Knicks returned to the playoffs for the first time since the Mellow era.

04:47Yet, the roster itself was still poorly constructed,

04:51and made it difficult for a young point guard like him to make mistakes and stay on the court.

04:55Thibodeau had a very tight leash with his younger guys.

04:58For example, in his sophomore season, the Knicks had a hectic rotation of guards that included

05:03R.J. Barrett, Evan Fournier, Alec Burks, Derek Rose, Kemba Walker,

05:08with a young Quentin Grimes and Deuce McBride fighting for minutes as well.

05:12The Knicks never truly committed to Quigley, not because they didn't like him,

05:16because he was a fan favorite, but because there were too many options and not enough

05:20balls to go around.

05:21And then, their priorities shifted once again in the 2022 offseason.

05:26Days ago, they knew, hey, Jalen Brunson is going to the Knicks.

05:30Brunson's camp reached out to the Mavericks and basically said, hey, he's made up his mind.

05:35Jalen Brunson's arrival solidified him as the starting point guard for years to come.

05:39Quigley's role now became more defined, as he cemented his own place as his backup,

05:44and he too had a breakout season.

05:52It was the most promising season of his Knicks tenure, but that was his third year in the league,

05:57and you know what happens next.

05:59Extension talks.

06:00And this is where things always fall apart.

06:04The Knicks offered him $18 million a year, which was reasonable at the time for a backup point guard.

06:10Quigley, however, wanted at least $25 million a year.

06:14This was a crazy demand, because it was the same salary that Brunson was making.

06:19Even if Quigley believed he was going to improve enough to be worth it,

06:23the Knicks knew that paying a backup the same amount as your starter is a stupid idea.

06:27At this point, why not just trade him for an actual starter who fits the roster better?

06:32And that's exactly what they did.

06:34At the following trade deadline, the Knicks and Raptors engaged in a blockbuster deal

06:38that sent him and RJ Barrett to Toronto for OG Ananobi.

06:43Then months later, after playing the remainder half of the season in Toronto,

06:47Quigley was rewarded with a five-year, $160 million deal.

06:51This was a clear sign that they guaranteed him the starting spot.

06:55The thing is, there were plenty of obstacles that could have prevented this trade from happening.

06:59In particular, a few months prior, the Knicks actually sued the Raptors

07:03for allegedly stealing scouting videos and secrets from a former Knicks employee.

07:07There was a level of animosity here that made us think,

07:10there's no way they trade with one another now, right?

07:13The trade was close to imploding when the Pacers came knocking on the door

07:17and made a heavy push for OG as well.

07:19Basically, there was a high possibility everything could have fallen apart,

07:22and if it did, I'm not sure Quigley would have ever gotten this much from any other team.

07:27The Raptors just happened to be a young, rebuilding team that actually did need a point guard,

07:32and Quigley came at the most opportune time.

07:35They traded a fantastic player in OG Ananobi, so when Quigley was up for his contract,

07:40he had so much more leverage because they couldn't just let him walk.

07:43While I think most casual fans assumed RJ Barrett was the main piece the Raptors targeted,

07:48it wasn't. It was clearly quickly just by seeing how fast they committed to him right after he got there.

07:54This trade freed him from being stuck on the bench behind Brunson,

07:57granted him generational wealth and the starting point guard spot for years to come,

08:02whereas for the Knicks, the arrival of OG was absolutely necessary to push them into the realm of contention.

08:09Now let's talk about the Michael Porter Jr. trade to Brooklyn.

08:13This might come as a surprise because you would think getting traded to the Nets is a death sentence.

08:19But honestly, I think it's exactly what Porter needed.

08:22This trade lifted such a heavy burden off his shoulders.

08:25While he had his good moments in Denver,

08:27much of his years there were plagued with badly timed injuries on top of a loaded contract.

08:32This contract is what critics pointed to as the reason why the Nuggets could not make more moves

08:37to build upon their championship season.

08:39It was a severe bottleneck to their flexibility,

08:42so both him and the team needed a change,

08:45and Porter got his wish.

08:47Bulls have a foul to give.

08:48Porter gets inside and Porter begs it home!

08:51In the midst of a transition period as they moved on from Cam Thomas

08:55and started the first stage of their rebuild,

08:57Porter had the ultimate green light to do whatever he wanted.

09:00I'm well aware how talented he was prior to the NBA.

09:03He was ranked as the number one high school prospect in the nation in 2017,

09:08but the alarming back issues dropped him down the draft board.

09:11The talent has always been there,

09:13and getting drafted to Denver for sure helped him early on,

09:16because he didn't need to be the number one or even number two option.

09:20In Brooklyn, however,

09:21his first season saw his numbers drastically jump up

09:24with his first time being the number one option in the NBA.

09:27The impressive part is,

09:28he did not sacrifice too much of his efficiency either.

09:32While most wouldn't consider going from a contender

09:34to a rebuilding team in the middle of their prime,

09:37Porter has always given off the vibe that he wants this.

09:39He already won the title anyway.

09:42In the old Man in the 3 podcast,

09:44Porter said he felt his game plateaued in Denver,

09:47and that he'd never have a bigger opportunity

09:49because of who he's playing with.

09:51That is true,

09:52his role would have remained the same forever in Denver.

09:55He desired a different environment

09:57where not only can he experience the freedom to do whatever he wants,

10:00but doing so while having zero pressure at all to win.

10:03They know he's not a franchise player.

10:05He's nothing more than a player to bring in some excitement

10:08with a highlight play here and there

10:09as they transition to a new era.

10:13Jordan Clarkson quietly arrives to Utah.

10:17This happened a few months before the pandemic

10:19shut down the 2020 NBA season.

10:21And when Cleveland traded him to Utah,

10:24this was supposed to be nothing more than a salary dump.

10:27All the Cavs got back were a few second rounders and Dante Exum,

10:31whose career got decimated by injuries and he barely played.

10:34The Jazz, much like the rest of the league,

10:37didn't think much of Clarkson initially.

10:39He had the reputation of being an erratic shooting guard

10:41who can't get too many minutes

10:43or else you'll shoot your team out of the game.

10:45But in Utah, this reputation would soon change.

10:53During the years of contending with Donovan Mitchell

10:56and Rudy Gobert,

10:57Clarkson provided a massive spark off the bench.

11:00He won sixth man of the year

11:02and had some fantastic performances in the playoffs.

11:05He had so many games where he'd completely take over

11:08and he found a city that he never thought he would call home.

11:11And the fans reciprocated.

11:13For a few years, he looked like the team's second best scorer,

11:17one of a few players on the team who can generate his own shot

11:19as they competed in the playoffs year after year.

11:22The organization appreciated his efforts

11:25as they gave him a new contract

11:26and another extension again through his six years there,

11:29something that not even he thought would happen

11:31after arriving as an expiring contract

11:33and seeing the season suspended by COVID.

11:36Prior to Utah, Clarkson's career was in limbo.

11:40He fell into the category of trigger-happy shooting guards

11:43who couldn't play winning basketball.

11:45At times, the Lakers and Cavs were so frustrated

11:48with the way he played

11:49that they couldn't wait to get rid of him

11:50and he never felt wanted there.

11:53That's all he wanted was to feel wanted.

11:56After such a disastrous appearance in the 2018 playoffs

11:59where he basically fell out of the rotation,

12:02it seemed like his career was about to fall off very quickly.

12:05So this trade saved him

12:07and he reflected on his shortcomings.

12:09Quote,

12:10It struck me in Cleveland

12:11not being able to produce in the playoffs.

12:13We started breaking down my shots.

12:15I tried to get better at everything.

12:17When I got here in Utah,

12:19Coach Snyder told me the same thing.

12:20It shows that I've been accepted in the league.

12:24The Nets did not care about Jared Allen.

12:27He was great in Brooklyn,

12:29but that team was a lost cause

12:31with all the distractions and noise going on.

12:34As productive as Allen was,

12:36he never got the same appreciation

12:37because of all the attention going to KD and Kyrie.

12:41Even from the organization itself,

12:43they didn't feel compelled to give him an extension

12:45by his third season

12:46and opted to trade him instead.

12:48Cleveland gets Jared Allen and Torian Prince.

12:52The Nets have to make the finals.

12:53They have to make the finals.

12:54So when he got dealt in a complex three-team trade

12:58which the Nets made to acquire James Harden,

13:00Allen landed in Cleveland,

13:02a team that drafted another big man in the draft

13:04a few months later,

13:05Evan Mobley.

13:07However, the Cavs believed in Allen a lot,

13:10so much so they gave him $100 million

13:12after half a season of production

13:14and another $90 million a few years later.

13:16The second of which was seen as somewhat controversial

13:19because the fans felt they were paying too much

13:21for this front court

13:22who haven't accomplished much in the playoffs up until then.

13:26Uh, even for me,

13:27the lights were brighter than expected.

13:30Remember his, you know,

13:31the lights were too bright comment?

13:33It didn't bode well for his reputation

13:35and since then,

13:36his performances in the playoffs

13:37have been quite inconsistent

13:39compared to his normal production.

13:41Although Mobley would blossom

13:43into a much more versatile player down the road

13:45and the two of them grew into a better fit.

13:48For Allen, despite the critics of his game,

13:50getting traded to Cleveland

13:51was the chance he needed

13:53as a young center joining a young team,

13:55a team trying to rebuild in the post-LeBron era,

13:58instead of the Nets,

13:59who prioritized their stars more

14:01and didn't pay much attention to him

14:03during extension negotiations.

14:05He was drafted by them in the late first round,

14:07a steal of a pick,

14:09who quickly became their starting center,

14:11but even that wasn't enough to keep him.

14:13Every year, they were constantly shopping him around

14:16in a potential flip to get another star,

14:18which they did.

14:19I think just by joining a team like the Cavs,

14:21who value him so much,

14:23that's all he needed for his career to take off.

14:27Nikhil Alexander Walker,

14:28sign and trade to Atlanta.

14:31Back in Minnesota,

14:32Nikhil was arguably their highest valued player per dollar.

14:35By that, I mean,

14:36dude was making $4 million a year

14:38while being insanely productive

14:40for how much he was making.

14:45He provided elite defense,

14:47a consistently good three-point shot,

14:49and if his team needed him to create a play

14:51every once in a while,

14:52he could do that.

14:53Plus, he did everything off the bench,

14:55and a huge reason why Minnesota

14:57could maintain a lead with their starters sitting.

15:00In the 2024-25 season,

15:02the Wolves were plus 7 with him on the court

15:04and plus 3 with him off of it.

15:06And it was obvious just watching him play

15:08how many winning plays he'd make.

15:11However, this eventually came at a cost.

15:14When his absurdly cheap contract expired,

15:16we all knew he wouldn't be making this little anymore.

15:19The nail in the coffin was when,

15:21in the summer of 25,

15:22Nas Reed was given a 5-year,

15:24$125 million deal,

15:27indicating that he was the man the Wolves prioritized,

15:29not Alexander Walker.

15:31As a result of this,

15:33their payroll became ludicrous.

15:34They had the third highest in the 2025-26 season,

15:37and the second apron was $208 million,

15:40so they were $20 million past it already,

15:43which obviously means

15:44there was no more room for Alexander Walker.

15:47With no intention to keep him,

15:49they ended up doing a sign-and-trade with the Hawks,

15:51receiving some cash

15:52and a second-round pick in return.

15:54I guess, technically,

15:55a sign-and-trade doesn't count as a real trade,

15:58because it was just him signing with the Hawks

16:00in free agency.

16:01But this was still an accidental success

16:03that no one thought he was capable of doing.

16:05Alexander Walker whips it inside

16:07for a bogey dunk.

16:08In Atlanta,

16:09he blossomed into a 20-point-per-game score,

16:12and his game expanded beyond anything

16:14he could have done in Minnesota.

16:16He won Most Improved Player,

16:18the clear frontrunner all season long,

16:19and the most impressive part?

16:21Even with a bigger role,

16:22more touches,

16:23and more defenders focusing on him,

16:25he still managed to shoot

16:26at the best efficiency of his career.

16:29It was also more of a transition season

16:31for the Hawks,

16:32because Trey Young was injured,

16:34and then he got traded.

16:35And that allowed way more possessions

16:37to spread out among the roster.

16:38And Nikhil was the benefactor of that.

16:41The Hawks still got him

16:42on a relatively affordable deal,

16:44and this was the chance of a lifetime,

16:47because if Minnesota did make an offer

16:48to keep him,

16:49there's no way he would have broken out like this.

16:53Anyway, that's all, folks.

16:55Those were six players

16:56whose careers were accidentally saved.

16:58And no one really expected it.

17:01Let me know in the comment section

17:02if you can think of any others.

17:04Thank you all so much for watching.

17:05I hope you all enjoyed the video.

17:07And of course,

17:08as always,

17:08I'll see you next time.

17:10Peace.

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