In a chat on the ‘Pardon My Take’ podcast, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski opened up on the biggest NBA trade that almost happened. Back in the middle of Kobe Bryant’s career, there was a point where he wanted out of the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons were apparently on the verge of becoming his new team.
“There was a deal with the Pistons where it was like Tayshaun, Rip Hamilton, and a bunch of picks for Kobe,” said Woj. “They had agreed to it, essentially, Kobe had to want to do it. And I think he went to Jerry Buss’s house and Kobe was in that period where ‘I want out of here’ and I think he kind of pulled him back him. That trade was agreed to like the two teams had agreed on terms… and then Kobe said, ‘Nah I don’t wanna do this.'”
.@wojespn shares the details of the famous trade that never happened that would’ve sent Kobe Bryant to the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons were set to trade Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton, and draft picks to the Lakers for Bryant. The agreement was essentially in place.
Bryant… pic.twitter.com/e5XRd9yaV7
— Aaron Johnson (@AJohnsonNBA) May 15, 2024
After winning the three-peat and trading away Shaquille O’Neal, the Lakers reached a low point in their timeline and Bryant was growing restless. After watching Shaquille O’Neal have success with the Heat, Kobe was determined to find success of his own, even if he had to leave the Lakers to do it.
In 2007, Bryant outright asked for a trade from the Lakers and it’s no secret that the Pistons were at the top of the list. Since Kobe had a no-trade clause on his contract, the choice was ultimately his to decide if he wanted to join the Pistons. But when it came time to choose, he decided against abandoning the Purple and Gold.
According to Joe Dumars, Kobe met with Jerry Buss that night and he was given two days to make up his mind. Within that time, Bryant turned down the Pistons and they had to look elsewhere for their next superstar.
Kobe Bryant Was Pissed At The Lakers In 2007
Looking back, it’s almost understated how close Kobe was to leaving the Lakers. With tensions already high in the wake of Shaq’s departure, Kobe was desperate for success and he was upset that the Lakers misled him about their capacity to compete for a title.
In a now legendary interview with Stephen A. Smith, Kobe Bryant went on the national radio to publicize his problems with the organization. He publicly campaigned to be traded and called out the Lakers ownership for not following through on their promise to build a contender. At one point, Kobe even said that he’d sooner play on Pluto than return to the Purple and Gold.
Eventually, however, Kobe was talked down from his position and the Pistons’ dreams of welcoming him to Detroit officially died that day. Bryant would go on to win two more championships with the Lakers, where he continues to be recognized as the franchise’s all-time greatest player.
All in all, it’s probably for the best that Kobe was never traded that day. While he could have thrived with the Pistons, the Lakers are uniquely gifted at attracting talent and they gave him the best odds of winning championships in the post-Shaq era.
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