Surprise, surprise: Vikings deal for Herschel Walker tops list of trades Minnesota sports fans didn't see coming
The Mavericks' out-of-nowhere trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday got us to thinking about some significant and surprising trades made by local franchises.
The NBA world was shocked Saturday night when reports surfaced that the Dallas Mavericks were trading superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for All-NBA big man Anthony Davis.
NBA players thought ESPN’s Shams Charania’s X account had been hacked, and fans a few cocktails into the evening did double and triple takes wondering what affect the alcohol was having on their ability to comprehend the news.
There’s a case to be made this was the most stunning in-season trade ever made in any sport. There was no hint it was coming or that Doncic was available, and Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison kept it that way by only dealing with Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ vice president of basketball operations.
While any move involving a Minnesota team falls short of Saturday’s deal, here are our four most shocking in-season trades made by the Vikings, Timberwolves, Twins and Wild/North Stars. Remember, these deals had to come during the season and catch us off guard.
VIKINGS: THE HERSCHEL WALKER DEAL, OCT. 12, 1989
While the then-dreadful Cowboys were shopping Walker, the Vikings weren’t one of the original teams to inquire about the running back. The New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns were among the teams interested, author Norm Hitzges wrote in his 2007 book, “The Greatest Team Ever: The Dallas Cowboys Dynasty of the 1990s.”
It was Dallas owner Jerry Jones and coach Jimmy Johnson who decided to call other teams to see if they could get them to bid against the Browns for Walker. The Vikings were on that list and they bit.
Johnson, according to Hitzges, informed Vikings general manager Mike Lynn that he had a deadline of 6:30 p.m. or Walker was going to be traded to the Browns. The Vikings were 3-2 at the time, but felt they had the makings of a Super Bowl team. Lynn considered Walker to be a difference maker and loved the idea of making a splash.
The Cowboys sent Walker and three draft picks to Minnesota in exchange for five players, three draft picks and conditional picks. The last part was key because Lynn agreed to give the Cowboys the right to have a draft pick replace any player from the deal who was cut before Feb. 1, 1990.
Johnson, of course, wasn’t interested in the players and wanted the picks. The haul of picks the Cowboys got from the Vikings helped them go from 1-15 in 1989 to winning three Super Bowls by 1995.
Walker, whose arrival in Minnesota had come with great fanfare, played for the Vikings through 1991 and never rushed for more than 825 yards in a season. The Vikings never got to a Super Bowl with him — but you already knew that.
The verdict: Walker, who had won the 1982 Heisman Trophy at Georgia, thrilled fans in his Vikings debut on Oct. 15, 1989 by rushing for 148 yards on 18 carries in a 26-14 victory over Green Bay at the Metrodome. Lynn looked like a genius, but that didn’t last long. This trade is considered one of the worst in NFL history, if not pro sports history.
TWINS: THE TOM BRUNANSKY DEAL, APRIL 22, 1988
The Twins were coming off a World Series championship in 1987 over St. Louis, but had gotten off to a 4-10 start when general manager Andy MacPhail dealt Brunansky to the Cardinals for second baseman Tom Herr. Brunansky was hitting .184/.286/.265 with a home run and six RBI in 14 games, but that looked like nothing more than a slow start.
The trade shocked both Brunansky and Herr, along with Twins and Cardinals players and fans. Herr was so upset that he acknowledged he “cried like a baby” on the flight to the Twin Cities.
The Twins wanted Herr to take over at second base and strengthen the top of their order, but it never happened. He hit .263/.349/.326 with one home run and 21 RBI in 86 games with the Twins before being traded to Philadelphia just after the regular season ended.
Brunansky, meanwhile, remained with the Cardinals until he was traded to the Red Sox for closer Lee Smith early in the 1990 season. He hit 43 home runs and drove in 166 runs in 320 games with the Redbirds.
The verdict: No one liked this trade when it was announced and it only got worse with time. One of the few clunkers in Minnesota for MacPhail, the architect of two World Series champions.