Hoops Habit
Fansided

Each NBA team’s best trade in franchise history

By Christopher Jeter

(Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser /NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser /NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
23 of 31
Next
(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Orlando Magic

Anfernee Hardaway and two first-round picks for Chris Webber (to GS) (1993)

Have you seen the movie Blue Chips, starring Nick Nolte? In many ways, the movie was ahead of its time, as the film touched on many of the topics that are at the forefront of big-time college athletics today. Sure, the acting from many of the coaches and athletes are wooden-at-best and the plot does lean into a myopic perspective on amateurism that lacks any self-awareness, but it went to a place where other films of the genre wouldn’t have dreamed of touching then. For that, it deserves some appreciation.

Aside from its rudimentary socio-economic commentary, the film also had unintended consequences on the 1993 NBA Draft. As mentioned, the movie starred several recognizable basketball names, like the Orlando Magic’s Shaquille O’Neal and the University of Memphis star Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway.

It was around this time where the Orlando Magic, who won the NBA Draft Lottery in 1992 that allowed them to pick O’Neal, struck lottery gold again and were in prime position to take the projected top pick that year, Michigan standout Chris Webber.

One problem: O’Neal bonded with Hardaway while filming for Blue Chips, which led to the big man expressing his desire to play with the lanky point guard. In future interviews, Webber would intimate that the movie played a significant role in getting him traded to Golden State.

So with Shaq and Penny desiring a team-up, the Magic obliged them (I’m sure it helped that Hardaway wasn’t a scrub), sending Webber and three first-round picks to the Warriors for Hardaway.

For the most part, the partnership worked out: Orlando turned into an Eastern Conference powerhouse overnight and advanced the NBA Finals in 1995. Shaq eventually grew jealous of the Magic favoring Hardaway over him and left for the west coast, but their initial chemistry forged on the set of that movie propelled an expansion team to the precipice of an NBA title. That’s pretty amazing.