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Ahead of the 2025 NBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers pulled off one of the biggest trades in NBA history. They shocked the world by striking a deal for Luka Doncic, but the move also sent out Anthony Davis and left the team without depth at the center position. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was able to secure yet another trade and bring in Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets. However, days after the deal was agreed to, a failed physical forced the Lakers to rescind the trade and remain without a clear-cut starting five.
The nullified trade was a rare occurrence for the NBA, but it wasn't completely unheard of. In this article, we are going to look at every failed or rescinded trade in NBA history.
Sean Elliott to the Rockets – 1994
Sean Elliott's career got off to a hot start in the early '90s with the San Antonio Spurs. So much so that he made the All-Star team in 1993 before being traded for an NBA legend (Dennis Rodman) in 1994. Elliott didn't thrive in the same way once he suited up for the Detroit Pistons, though, as his scoring production dropped from 17.2 points to 12.1 points per game with his new team.
The Pistons decided to cut their losses and trade him, so they shipped him to the Houston Rockets before the NBA trade deadline. The Rockets were trying to make an all-in move with Michael Jordan out of the league pursuing a baseball career. Elliot failed his physical, though, so Houston had to rescind the trade.
Elliott had a kidney disease known as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. He eventually had a kidney transplant in 1999 and became the first NBA player to play after that operation. Prior to that, though, Elliott returned to the Pistons after the failed trade and finished out a down year with the team. He went back to the Spurs the following season and returned to All-Star form.
The Rockets, meanwhile, have to be glad that the trade didn't go through. The deal would have included Robert Horry and Matt Bullard, both of whom helped the team win the championship that year. Horry has claimed that the trade saved his career, and he'd become known as “Big Shot Bob” after the failed trade due to his ability to hit clutch shots.
Danny Fortson to the Raptors – 2000
Danny Fortson was undersized for the center position at only 6-foot-7. He played with high intensity, but he is known for having the highest percentage of his own shots blocked in a single season ever (16.7%). Fortson started his career with the Denver Nuggets before being moved to the Boston Celtics, but he quickly fell out of favor in Boston.
The team traded him to the Toronto Raptors for Alvin Williams and Sean Marks in 2000. The trade was nullified when Fortson failed his physical, though, so he went back to Boston to finish out the season. Like Elliot, Fortson only lasted one season with the team that tried to trade him, as he ended up being moved to the Golden State Warriors the following season.
Fortson was at his best with the Warriors, even racking up a 16.7 point-per-game season. It isn't known why he exactly failed his physical with the Raptors.
Tyson Chandler to the Thunder – 2009
The Oklahoma City Thunder were a young and exciting team that featured future stars such as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and (eventually) James Harden. They thought they needed more rim protection, though, so they sent out Joe Smith, Chris Wilcox, and DeVon Hardin for Tyson Chandler in 2009.
Team doctors flagged an issue with Chandler's previously injured toe, though, so the team ended up rescinding the trade in fear of re-injury risk. Chandler was eventually moved from the New Orleans Hornets to the Charlotte Bobcats before again being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He won a championship once arriving in Dallas.
The Thunder, meanwhile, looked like a future dynasty because of their young core, but they never did take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Chandler would have certainly helped in their championship pushes in comparison to keeping any of Smith, Wilcox, and Hardin, though, especially considering he was so great in his championship run with the Mavericks.
Chris Paul to the Lakers – 2011
The failed Chris Paul trade in 2011 is one of the most infamous moments in NBA history. Paul had established himself as one of the best point guards ever with the New Orleans Hornets. The Lakers, meanwhile, had a disappointing postseason in 2011 after winning two straight championships with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol before that.
It led to the team making a drastic move that would bring in Paul and send away Gasol. Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, and Kevin Martin were also involved in the trade. The deal would have been one of the biggest in NBA history, but it was not meant to be, as NBA commissioner David Stern vetoed the deal.
The Hornets, at the time, were owned by the NBA, so Stern was the highest-ranking official associated with the team. Acting on behalf of the Hornets, Stern claimed the team was not getting enough in return for the 26-year-old point guard. Other reports have suggested NBA owners pushed Stern to kill the trade and that the league didn't want Paul to have say on which team he'd be traded to.
Paul was traded to the other team in Los Angeles just six days later. His deal to the Clippers involved Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, and a first-round pick. Paul's tenure with the Clippers would become known as “Lob City” due to the frequency in which he threw highlight alley-oops to Deandre Jordan and Blake Griffin.
Donatas Motiejunas to the Pistons – 2016
Physicals were not the friend of Donatas Motiejunas. He failed not one but two physicals during his career, and both drastically impacted his career outlook. The first time that happened was in 2016 when he was traded alongside Marcus Thornton to the Detroit Pistons for a draft pick and Joel Anthony.
The trade was rescinded four days after the NBA trade deadline when back problems were discovered in Motiejunas' physical examination, so the Lithuanian big man returned to the Rockets. In the following offseason (a notorious offseason known for teams handing out huge contracts to role players), Motiejunas was given a four-year deal to re-sign with the Rockets.
However, he again failed his physical, so this deal was canceled as well. Motiejunas ended up playing just one more season with the Pelicans before he went back overseas to finish his career (he eventually played one more season with the Spurs in 2019, too).
Mark Williams to the Lakers – 2025
As mentioned earlier, the Lakers desperately need center help now that Anthony Davis is no longer with the team. The Lakers clearly won the Doncic-Davis trade, but the move certainly left them with a hole at the center position. The hole was filled when the Lakers sent Cam Reddish and Dalton Knecht to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams.
In theory, Williams seemed like a great fit for the Lakers. He has been having a breakout campaign, and he could have provided the size, defense, and interior scoring that the team needed. Williams has been often hurt throughout his three-year NBA career, and more concerns popped up during his physical with the team.
The risk was greater than the reward, and the Lakers rescinded the trade days after the NBA trade deadline. Now, every party involved has the awkward task of returning to a team that traded them away. This marks the second rescinded trade between the Lakers and an NBA team nicknamed the Hornets.
