Every GM thinks they’re a genius when they announce a blockbuster trade. Press conferences get scheduled, fans celebrate, experts praise the bold move. Then reality hits like a freight train, and what looked like a masterstroke turns into a franchise-ending disaster. These trades had executives popping champagne on day one until the consequences unfolded in real time.
The Browns Traded Everything for Deshaun Watson
By March 2022, the Cleveland Browns were desperate for a franchise quarterback, and Deshaun Watson was considered one of the NFL’s best. When the Browns landed the Pro Bowler who’d thrown for over 4,800 yards in 2020, fans thought their suffering was finally over.
Cleveland gave up three first-round picks, a third-rounder, and two fourth-rounders. Then they handed Deshaun a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract, the first fully guaranteed deal in NFL history. Everything fell apart when Deshaun was suspended for 11 games in 2022 for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
When he finally played, he struggled through injuries and posted mediocre numbers. Meanwhile, the picks Cleveland sent to Houston helped the Texans draft CJ Stroud and build one of the league’s most promising young rosters.
The Falcons Flipped Brett Favre for a First-Rounder
In February 1992, the Atlanta Falcons drafted Brett Favre in the second round of the 1991 draft, but he didn’t fit their system. When the Green Bay Packers offered a first-round pick for the backup quarterback, Falcons management thought they’d turned a second-rounder into a first-rounder after just one season. Atlanta used that pick to select running back Tony Smith.
Brett became a three-time MVP, a Super Bowl champion, and one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. He was a first-ballot Hall of Famer who played 16 seasons in Green Bay and became the face of the franchise.
As for Tony Smith? He rushed for 329 yards and two touchdowns in three seasons before disappearing from the league. Today, only die-hard Falcons fans even remember his name.
The Lakers Thought Russell Westbrook Would Save Them
The Los Angeles Lakers had just missed the playoffs in 2021 and needed a playmaker to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. When they acquired Russell Westbrook, a former MVP and triple-double machine, from the Washington Wizards, it seemed like the perfect move.
LA gave up Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and a first-round pick. Experts praised the Lakers for adding a third star. The fit was disastrous from the onset as Russell’s ball-dominant style clashed with LeBron’s, his shooting was atrocious, and his decision-making was questionable. The Lakers went 33-49 and missed the playoffs entirely the following season.
Kyle and Kentavious, meanwhile, became key contributors for Washington, with the former averaging over 20 points per game. LA eventually traded Russell away, but they’d wasted a year of LeBron’s prime thanks to a failed experiment.
Press conferences lie, and trade announcements are designed to make fans feel good about decisions that haven’t been tested yet. While some trades work out, these three examples prove that the gap between “this looks brilliant” and “we just destroyed our franchise” can be measured in weeks, sometimes days.
