Basketball, Listed

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Missed connections: 19 blockbuster NBA trades that almost happened but fell through

Some of the greatest “what if” scenarios in NBA history have been trades that were rumored, agreed to in principle, and maybe even finalized then vetoed, but never happened. Here, we detail 19 of them that would have certainly changed the destiny of the franchises involved, if not the entire league.

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1) Lakers trade Wilt Chamberlain to the Bulls and the Blackhawks trade Bobby Hull to the Kings (1972)

We may as well start here with arguably the most implausible trade rumor in NBA history. Hull was a hockey legend with the Chicago Blackhawks but was upset with his contract and threatening to pull a Rick Barry by defecting to the Winnipeg Jets of the upstart WHA. Jack Kent Cooke, who owned both the Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings at the time, found out about this situation and contacted Blackhawks and Bulls owner Arthur Wirtz with a wild idea. Cooke would trade Chamberlain, who was similarly disgruntled about his paychecks, to the Bulls, while Wirtz would send Hull to the Kings. This could grant instant star power and legitimacy to young Bulls and Kings franchises while placating two aging superstars. The mechanics of how this would actually work would be fascinating but sadly we never found out, as the trade talks quickly stalled. Hull signed with Winnipeg and spent the rest of his career in the WHA, while Chamberlain played one more season with the Lakers before retiring.

2) Bulls trade #3 draft pick (used on Michael Jordan) to Clippers for Terry Cummings (1984)

Could Jordan, the most singularly minded basketball machine in history, have turned the moribund, snakebitten Clippers into a championship franchise? Or would the Clippers curse have ruined his career, just like it did so many other superstars? We almost found out, as it was reported just days before the 1984 NBA Draft that the Bulls were shopping the #3 overall pick that they eventually used on Jordan. Their most motivated buyer was the Clippers, looking to unload the disgruntled Cummings, who would have appreciated a return to his hometown of Chicago. The deal ultimately fell through, of course, and the Bulls held onto the pick while the Clippers eventually traded Cummings later that summer to the Bucks. Amazingly, the Bulls reportedly almost traded Jordan to the Clippers again in 1988. Though their superstar was coming off his first MVP season, Chicago owner Jerry Reinsdorf seriously considered an offer from Donald Sterling of the #1 and #6 draft picks, plus three (undisclosed) players.

3) 76ers trade Charles Barkley to Lakers for James Worthy and Elden Campbell (1992)

How close did this trade come to happening? So close that Barkley went out day drinking to celebrate it only to find out that the 76ers had backed out of the deal and he would have to play for them that night. Rumors swirled throughout the ’91-’92 season that a 76ers trade of their disgruntled superstar was imminent. At some point, likely right before the February trade deadline, the Sixers had a deal in place to send Barkley and Ron Anderson to the Lakers for James Worthy and Elden Campbell, but backed out at the last minute. Barkley closed out the season with Philadelphia and was traded that summer to the Suns for Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang, and Tim Perry. It’s debatable which trade was better for Philly but both were definitely pennies on the dollar. Worthy was undoubtedly a great player but was on a downswing with shaky knees by ’91-’92, while Campbell was a solid center who never developed into an All-Star level talent.

4) Rockets trade Hakeem Olajuwon to Heat for Glen Rice and others (1992)

We’ve mentioned elsewhere how weird it was seeing Olajuwon finish out his carer in a Raptors uniform but even more uncanny is thinking about him joining the Heat in his prime a decade earlier. It almost came to be because Olajuwon and the Rockets were an unhappy union in the summer of 1992. The ’91-’92 season had ended disastrously, with the Rockets missing the postseason for the first time in Olajuwon’s career, amidst ownership accusing its star center of faking an injury to sit out meaningless games. Olajuwon’s agent demanded a trade and the Rockets definitively fielded offers from the Heat, SuperSonics, Lakers, Trail Blazers, and Clippers. The deal with Miami came the closest to fruition and it would have been a coup for the Heat, who offered Rony Seikaly, Harold Miner, and Grant Long. When the Rockets demanded Steve Smith or Glen Rice be included, the Heat mistakenly balked. Olajuwon and the Rockets mended fences and soon after were back-to-back champions in 1994 and 1995.

5) Pistons trade Dennis Rodman to Suns for Richard Dumas (1993)

What are the odds that a trade involving Rodman would fall through due to the personal issues of a different player involved in the deal? In this case, it was Dumas, a versatile forward coming off a breakout rookie season for the Suns in ’92-’93 but struggling with drug abuse. He had previously been suspended for the entire ’91-’92 season due to a failed drug test and was spending the 1993 offseason in a substance abuse aftercare program. This latter fact was not known initially by Pistons executives and they backed out of the trade in September of 1993 once they realized that Dumas was still in recovery. Whether that assessment was fair or not, it did work out in their favor as Dumas was suspended again for the ’93-’94 season and his NBA career was effectively over at that point. Not that keeping Rodman was fruitful for Detroit either. They were still forced to trade the mercurial forward a few weeks later to the Spurs in a disastrous deal that augured the end of the “Bad Boys” era.

6) Bulls trade Scottie Pippen to SuperSonics for Shawn Kemp (1994)

SuperSonics fans have long lamented the team’s immediate trading of Pippen after drafting him in 1987 but the fanbase arguably tanked the team’s ability to bring him back seven years later. In the summer of 1994, both the Sonics and Bulls were coming off disastrous postseason performances. Chicago was eliminated in a second round series that culminated in Pippen refusing to re-enter a game after coach Phil Jackson drew up a final play for Toni Kukoc. Seattle was stunned in the first round as a #1 seed and many were blaming it on the inexperience of young star Shawn Kemp. Jerry Krause offered Pippen to the Sonics in exchange for Kemp and a first round pick and it seemed like a done deal until news of the trade leaked through the media. Sonics fans were furious at the prospect of losing their high-flying, electrifying young forward and their backlash supposedly convinced Seattle owner Barry Ackerley to scuttle the deal.

7) Pistons trade Isiah Thomas to Knicks for Tony Campbell, Tim McCormick, and a first round pick (1994)

The Knicks entered the ’93-’94 season as one of the title favorites but found themselves with a glaring hole at point guard when Doc Rivers suffered a knee injury. Ahead of the trade deadline, they seemingly had a deal in place to acquire Thomas for the Pistons in exchange for Tony Campbell, Tim McCormick, and a first round pick. It fell through for undisclosed reasons, possibly because the Pistons asked for more in return or possibly because Thomas exercised an unofficial no-trade clause. If the latter is true Thomas rued the decision, arguing in retrospect that he could have been a difference maker in the 1994 NBA Finals loss to Houston. Instead, Thomas suffered a career ending Achilles’ tear later in the season while the Knicks traded for a different veteran point guard in Derek Harper. Thomas and the Knicks would eventually come together in 2003, in a calamitous five year run as the team’s president and coach.

8) Trail Blazers trade Clyde Drexler to SuperSonics for Kendall Gill (1995)

It was no secret that Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen gave his new general manager “Trader Bob” Whitsitt a directive to rebuild in the summer of 1994. That meant that Drexler, the face of the franchise for over a decade, was on the trading block. We know how that ended, with Drexler dealt to the Rockets in exchange for Otis Thorpe and a first round pick, then finally earning a championship ring. But that only came to fruition after a trade negotiation with the SuperSonics broke down. Seattle offered Kendall Gill, who at the time was showing signs of All-Star potential as a young shooting guard. This was definitely a better deal at the time and in retrospect for Portland but Whitsitt got cold feet over trading his showcase star to Portland’s biggest rival and possibly spurring them to a championship. While Drexler and the Rockets were en route to their championship in the spring of 1995, the Sonics were upset in the Conference Quarterfinals by the Lakers.

9) Raptors trade Tracy McGrady and a first round pick to 76ers for Larry Hughes (1999)

Almost as soon as the Raptors drafted him with the ninth overall pick in 1997, McGrady’s time with the team seemed like a ticking clock leading down to his inevitable departure. Such was the reality at the time for the still young franchise, which struggled to lure and retain star players due to its northern locale and the then cratering Canadian dollar. Possessing two rising superstars in McGrady and Vince Carter (whom they drafted in 1998) was therefore an obviously temporary condition and in 2000, the Raptors opted to bet their future on Carter. They traded McGrady. to the Magic for a first round pick, later wasted on Fran Vazquez, who never played in the NBA. But the rate of return would have been arguably even worse if they had gone through with a proposed deal in 1999 to send McGrady and a first round pick to the 76ers for Larry Hughes. It would have intriguingly teamed McGrady with Allen Iverson but supposedly fell apart due to Stephen A. Smith breaking the story and the Raptors subsequently getting cold feet.

In the same summer that Kobe Bryant was being shopped around but ultimately stayed in Los Angeles, the Timberwolves did everything short of placing a “for sale” sign around [Kevin] Garnett’s neck

10) 76ers trade Allen Iverson to the Pistons in a four-team deal (2000)

Speaking of Iverson, the Philadelphia hero almost got traded out of town right before he began truly crafting his legend in the city. On the cusp of what would eventually be his MVP season, he was part of a four-team trade that, in principle, would send him to the Pistons. It’s unclear exactly which players were part of the overall package, but the rumored deal involved the Sixers, Pistons, Lakers, and Hornets, and reportedly as many as 12 players, including notable names Iverson, Eddie Jones, Glen Rice, Toni Kukoc, Anthony Mason, Christian Laettner, and Jerry Stackhouse. Did this massive blockbuster fall apart because one or more of the teams chickened out at the last minute? Or because one of the star players involved put a kibosh on it? Nope. Instead, it was veteran Sixers backup center Matt Geiger who derailed the trade by refusing to waive his no trade clause to go to Detroit. An improbable sidetracking of a transaction that would have completely reshaped the Eastern Conference for years.

11) Lakers trade Kobe Bryant to Pistons for Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Amir Johnson, and a first round pick (2007)
12) Lakers trade Kobe Bryant to Bulls for Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, and Tyrus Thomas (2007)

For about a month in the summer of 2007, it seemed inevitable that Bryant was leaving the Lakers. The L.A. superstar had asked for a trade live on air during a radio interview with Stephen A. Smith and the team had no choice but to at least field offers. One would have sent Bryant to the Pistons in exchange for Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Amir Johnson, and a first round pick. Another would have had Bryant following in Michael Jordan’s footsteps on the Bulls, in exchange for Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, and Tyrus Thomas. Each are equally intriguing as “what if” scenarios, as the Pistons could have extended their stranglehold on the Eastern Conference while the Bulls were a team on the rise. While Bryant stepped in and vetoed the Pistons trade, the deal with Chicago just fell through. It’s long been rumored that the Lakers also offered Bryant to the Cavaliers that summer in exchange for LeBron James but even if that’s real, it’s doubtful Cleveland took this overture seriously.

13) Timberwolves trade Kevin Garnett to Suns, Suns trade Amare Stoudemire to Hawks and Shawn Marion to Celtics, Celtics trade first round pick to Timberwolves (2007)
14) Timberwolves trade Kevin Garnett to Lakers for Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and other undisclosed players and picks (2007)

In the same summer that Kobe Bryant was being shopped around but ultimately stayed in Los Angeles, the Timberwolves did everything short of placing a “for sale” sign around Garnett’s neck. This set off an unlikely new salvo in the Celtics-Lakers rivalry. According to Garnett himself, his three trade destination requests were the Suns, Lakers, or Celtics. Phoenix had a complex four-team trade in place that Garnett vetoed because didn’t want to play there without Stoudemire or Marion. Jerry Buss supposedly had a handshake agreement with Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor to bring Garnett to the Lakers for a package built around Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom. But general manager Kevin McHale instead sent the “Big Ticket” to his former team, the Celtics, in exchange for Al Jefferson and two first round picks. While irate Lakers fans accused collusion, Taylor claimed that he was swayed by Jefferson’s potential and his fear of Garnett joining of Western Conference rival.

15) Suns trade Amare Stoudemire to Cavaliers for J.J. Hickson, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and a first round pick (2010)

The Cavaliers were desperate to land an All-Star caliber player at the 2010 trade deadline, with LeBron James’ contract set to expire. They found a willing partner in the Suns, another franchise with a superstar pending free agent in Stoudemire. Even with his injury woes and contract situation, Stoudemire would have been absolute steal for Cleveland in exchange for Hickson, a 34-year-old Ilgauskas, and a late first round pick. But Cavs management wasn’t willing to depart with Hickson, who was flashing some promise at age 21 and they may have believed in as a James replacement. Instead of Stoudemire, the Cavaliers ended up with an aging Antawn Jamison and the rest is history. James left that summer for the Heat after an early playoffs exit and Stoudemire signed with the Knicks. While James has never publicly commented on the trade proposal, Stoudemire has openly rued the decision, contemplating that he could have convinced “The King” to stay in Cleveland long term with him.

16) Hornets trade Chris Paul to Lakers for Lamar Odom, Goran Dragic, Luis Scola, and Kevin Martin; Rockets receive Pau Gasol (2011)

This one was agreed to in principle by all three sides. The only issue was that one side was technically the NBA league office itself, which took control of the Hornets after buying out owner George Shinn in 2010. Though Hornets general manager Dell Demps spearheaded the deal in December of 2011, commissioner David Stern stepped in quickly and vetoed it, claiming that Demps was unauthorized. Reports eventually surfaced that the commissioner’s hand was additionally forced by NBA owners skittish over the new bargaining agreement terms and the burgeoning power of star players to choose their playing destinations (especially Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, still smarting over LeBron James’ departure for Miami). Paul was traded a few days later to the other Los Angeles team, the Clippers, for an arguably vastly inferior package of Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman, and a first round pick. It completely turned around the fortunes of that franchise while the Lakers fell into a prolonged slump.

17) Timberwolves trade Kevin Love to Warriors for Klay Thompson and David Lee (2014)

The Cavaliers and Warriors wound up facing off in four consecutive NBA Finals, starting in 2015, but how different would those seasons have looked if this trade happened? It made sense at the time for Golden State, which had a certified young superstar in Stephen Curry, a young defensive anchor in Draymond Green, and a strong new coach in Steve Kerr. Thompson was still a bit of a question mark at the time, not yet the versatile, world destroying “Splash Brother” he would develop into in the ’14-’15 season. Love was a hot trade commodity in the summer of 2014, with the Timberwolves undergoing yet another rebuild and the All-Star making clear he wouldn’t re-sign with them in 2015. The Bulls, Knicks, and Celtics all made solid offers, while Golden State initially submitted Lee and Harrison Barnes. When Minnesota asked for Thompson instead of Barnes, the Warriors reportedly debated it but ultimately declined, opening it up for the Cavaliers to land Love instead.

18) Cavaliers trade Kyrie Irving to Suns, Pacers trade Paul George and Eric Bledsoe to Cavaliers, Suns trade first round pick to Pacers (2017)
19) Cavaliers trade Kyrie Irving to Bucks for Malcom Brogdon and Khris Middleton (2017)

The timeline on this has never been clear but we know for sure that Irving was almost traded to the Suns or Bucks in the summer of 2017 before ultimately landing in Boston. The three-team blockbuster with the Pacers and Suns would have been the best return for Cleveland, as it included the perennial All-Star George. According to the narrative that Irving supports, he found out about this trade after Phoenix backed out and was upset about the Cavaliers shopping him around. Furthermore, he seemed to blame LeBron James, whose agent also represented Gordon at the time. Per other accounts, Irving had already approached the Cavaliers with his trade demand and went public with it after this transaction fell through. Either way, Cleveland’s hands were forced and had to choose between lesser packages from the Bucks (Brogdon and Middleton) or the one they eventually accepted from the Celtics (built around Isaiah Thomas and a first round pick). They seemed about even at the time but there’s no doubt in retrospect that Cleveland would have been better off negotiating with the Bucks.

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