The NBA league office was put into an awkward position in 2011 when they had to run the New Orleans Hornets that had gone into administration. David Stern acted on behalf of the team with the other 29 teams as stakeholders, but the Hornets had agreed to send star point guard to the Los Angeles Lakers in a 3-team deal that included the Houston Rockets.
David Stern, under pressure from owners like Mark Cuban and Dan Gilbert, vetoed the trade and would later end up sending CP3 to the Los Angeles Clippers. It was vetoed because rival owners were worried about the Lakers becoming a dynasty by acquiring Paul without giving up draft picks and maintaining assets like Andrew Bynum.
Danny Ainge, the Director of Basketball Operations for the rival Celtics, allegedly celebrated the trade, according to NBA insider Ric Bucher.
“I’m told that when the Clippers outmaneuvered the Lakers for Chris Paul, Ainge celebrated as if he had kept Paul from wearing the purple and gold himself. That’s how deep Ainge’s competitive fire goes when it comes to certain teams especially.”
What Could Have Been If Chris Paul And Kobe Bryant Teamed Up?
In terms of a backcourt in 2011, nobody could ask for a stronger one than CP3 and Kobe. Both were defensive machines, and Kobe would offset CP’s lack of size as a larger defender. Paul was arguably the best playmaker in the league, and Kobe was one of the best scorers. However, the Lakers would have looked very different.
The trade would have seen the Lakers acquire Paul to be the new secondary star next to Kobe, with the Hornets receiving Lamar Odom, Kevin Martin, and Luis Scola. The Rockets would take on Pau Gasol.
Losing Gasol would be a massive blow for the Lakers, but CP3 in his prime would be worth almost anything. The Lakers still had Andrew Bynum and could fill the pieces they lost, primarily Lamar Odom. The team wouldn’t have the depth it did, but any veteran would be willing to play with the Lakers, especially when Kobe was still there.
The Lakers could have extended their domination into the latter half of Kobe’s career and not feel compelled to rely on a 40-year-old Steve Nash for point guard play in a few years and still been able to pair a prime Dwight Howard with CP3 and Kobe. This would have been an incredible and possibly historic trade, but it was stopped due to agendas from around the league.
