Many fans like to believe that it is just the current era of players that like to turn their backs on their teams and request trades. However, that is far from the truth, and trade requests date back to the early days of the NBA.

Still, in this player empowerment era, trades and trade requests are happening more often than ever.

With Damian Lillard and James Harden requesting trades this offseason – and Harden's recent comments on Daryl Morey – we decided to look back at other recent trade requests. Here are the 14 biggest and most important trade requests since 2010.

14. James Harden (2023)

Result: 76ers take James Harden off the trade block but might have to reevaluate after Harden's recent comments.

Trade requests are less jaw-dropping when you do it every other year, and that is why Harden is last on this list of superstar trade requests. In his third trade request in as many years, Harden now wants out of Philadelphia. The Sixers' shooting guard opted into his contract this offseason in the hopes of being traded, with his eyes on the Los Angeles Clippers. However, the Clippers have been unable to find a trade partner willing to give them a fair trade package, so the 76ers decided to take Harden's name out of trade conversations.

That sparked Harden to announce that he will never play for an organization that employs Daryl Morey, the Sixers' president. The latest train of events may spark the Sixers to once again look for trade partners for the disgruntled star.

13. Kyrie Irving (2023)

Result: Brooklyn Nets trade Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks

Kyrie Irving is another superstar who has requested multiple trades in his career. When contract talks didn't go his way, Irving became the third star of the Brooklyn Nets' big three to request a trade (and second to be traded). The package for Irving included Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and draft compensation.

12. James Harden (2022)

Result: Brooklyn Nets trade James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Harden's previous trade request was a little bit more meaningful. Still, it came in his age 32 season when Harden wasn't quite the same player he was during his prime. This trade was significant as it signaled the start of the end of one of the most disappointing rosters in NBA history. Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant were supposed to form one of the best big threes in the history of the league; instead, the trio never won a playoff series together.

11. Kevin Durant (2022) 

Result: Kevin Durant was not traded after his request but is traded less than a year later to the Phoenix Suns after the Kyrie Irving trade.

Kevin Durant's placement on this list is important because he is the one player who was not sent off in direct response to requesting a trade out of town. Tons of drama surrounded the Nets from 2021-2023. After Harden demanded a trade at the 2022 trade deadline, things got even weirder in Brooklyn. The Nets got swept in the first round, and in an offseason filled with Kyrie Irving drama, Durant had a falling out with head coach Steve Nash, prompting Durant to request a trade.

The Nets ultimately held onto Durant, and he and Irving had a successful start to the 2023 campaign. However, it didn't last, as both players were traded at the 2023 trade deadline after an Irving trade request.

10. Paul George (2019)

Result: Oklahoma City Thunder trade Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers

It was known for years that Paul George wanted to play in his hometown of Los Angeles, although it was the Lakers that most believed to be his ideal destination. When Kawhi Leonard – fresh off a championship with the Toronto Raptors – signed with the Clippers, it prompted George to ask for a trade to Los Angeles. George was sent off to the Clippers for a massive haul that included five first-round draft picks, multiple draft swap options, and a budding star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

9. Jimmy Butler (2018)

Result: Minnesota Timberwolves trade Jimmy Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers

Who could forget the infamous Jimmy Butler practice in which the star called out his Timberwolves teammates and organization while playing with and willing the backup unit to a practice game victory over the starters. It was Butler's first practice with the team since requesting a trade weeks earlier, and Butler was able to publicly flex the situation on a nationally televised interview with Rachel Nichols just hours later. Butler's unhappiness with the organization forced Minnesota's hand, and they traded Butler for a measly package of fringe NBA players.

8. Kyrie Irving (2017)

Result: Cleveland Cavaliers trade Irving to the Boston Celtics

Irving and LeBron James had a good run with the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning a championship and appearing in an additional two finals. But in 2017, with two years left on his contract, Irving wanted out of James' shadow. While it has become commonplace since then, requesting a trade with multiple years left on your deal was pretty unheard of in 2017. Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics, and his career has been filled with drama ever since the trade request.

7. Dwight Howard (2012)

Result: Orlando Magic trade Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers

All superstar NBA trade requests are messy, but Dwight Howard's request was one of the weirdest. In what is now known as the “Dwightmare,” Howard asked out of Orlando on multiple occasions. He wanted his coach fired and caused all sorts of chemistry issues for the Magic. Eventually, Howard was traded to the Lakers for an impressive haul of multiple picks and multiple players, and while things didn't work out between Howard and the Lakers, the big man still went on to have a long and successful 18-season career.

6. James Harden (2021)

Result: Houston Rockets trade James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets

Harden's first trade request was by far his most significant. Although it took a couple of months before the trade, Harden's wishes to join Irving and Durant in Brooklyn were granted, paving the way for one of the best big threes on paper in league history. Harden had finished third in MVP voting the year prior, and his joining of the Nets made Brooklyn appear like an unstoppable juggernaut. Of course, it never worked out that way, and Harden requested another trade just a year later.

5. Damian Lillard (2023)

Result: Portland Trail Blazers are still looking for a trade partner

In the modern NBA, it is rare to find a loyal superstar. Few stars stick with their original team for the entire duration of their careers. Damian Lillard was thought to be one of those stars. While he did stick in Portland longer than he had to, this offseason, Lillard has finally requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. A fair trade package has been harder to come by than Portland had anticipated, and Lillard remains on the Blazers deep into the offseason.

4. Kawhi Leonard (2018)

Result: San Antonio Spurs trade Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors

The Kawhi Leonard trade of 2018 proved that it could be worth it to go all in for a superstar. The Toronto Raptors traded DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a first-round pick for the star, even though he would become a free agent at season's end. It worked out for the Raptors because in his lone season in Toronto, he brought the city their only NBA Finals victory.

3. Chris Paul (2011)

Result: New Orleans Hornets trade Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers/Clippers

The Chris Paul NBA trade situation was one of the biggest controversies in NBA history. With the process of getting new ownership for the New Orleans franchise underway, Paul wanted a trade to the New York Knicks. Instead, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. However, then-NBA commissioner David Stern vetoed the trade. The commissioner felt as though the package of Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, Lamar Odom, Kevin Martin, and picks wasn't enough for a player of Paul's caliber.

Here is where things get interesting. Stern was acting as a de facto owner for the Hornets during the ownership transition period, with the 29 other team owners acting as shareholders. Many of the owners didn't like the trade to the Lakers and pressured Stern to veto the trade. Stern did just that, and Paul was instead traded to the Clippers for a lesser package of Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, and a first-round pick.

2. Anthony Davis (2019)

Result: New Orleans Pelicans trade Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers

Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans had a messy divorce as Davis was a healthy scratch from games in the 2019 season in order to preserve him for a potential NBA trade. Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball, and three first-round picks is what it took the Los Angeles Lakers to acquire Davis, and like Kawhi Leonard, Davis also won a championship in his first year on his new team. The difference is that Davis has remained with the team that gave up a boatload of assets to get him.

1. Carmelo Anthony (2010)  

Result: Denver Nuggets trade Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks

You can trace back the surge of superstars requesting trades to Carmelo Anthony wanting out of Denver in 2010. Many stars have since wanted out of small market organizations to play in the spotlight of a big market franchise, and that is in part due to Anthony's decision. The trade for Anthony included Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mosgov, Danilo Gallinari, and picks. All of the players had successful stints in Denver, and while Anthony did have some big moments with the Knicks, he also only made the playoffs twice in the full seasons he was there, making this trade a prime example of when superstars should be careful what they wish for.