5 most controversial trade storylines in the NBA: featuring Ben Simmons, Chris Paul, and more

As the beginning of the 2021-22 NBA season approaches, it's always a popular time of the year in which rumors start to float around the basketball world. As it stands right now, there are a number of big names that could potentially come up in trade discussions. As fans of the NBA, there's nothing quite as thrilling as a trade rumor that turns into an actual transaction between teams. It's one of the most underrated thrills in the sport of basketball. Fans rush to their phones and computers to talk about the latest big trade that has happened in the NBA.

Some of these trades will get leaked to the public early on. Common words such as "discussions" or "negotiations" get thrown around, hinting to the fans that there is some seriousness to a potential move going down. Others stay pretty close to the chest, as fans don't even know that a trade almost happened until it's reported that both sides couldn't come to an agreement. But there's also another side of the story that rarely gets leaked to the public. Some of these trades weren't even known until years down the road. Let's take a look at some of the most controversial trade storylines in recent memory.

#5 Ben Simmons & The Sixers

Ben Simmons anxiously awaits a trade from the Sixers

Whether you want to admit it or not, Ben Simmons is quickly entering the conversation as one of the most controversial trade storylines in NBA history. It's becoming such a fascinating deal because Simmons viewed trade value around the league. Some teams are simply hesitant to go "all-in" when it comes to acquiring the three-time all-star. For now, it looks as if the Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons are going to remain at a stalemate, as we wait for a resolution. With a situation that has involved a number of back-and-forths in press conferences involving teammates and coaches, it looks as if the Simmons situation is only going to get worse before it gets better.

#4 Charles Barkley to the Lakers

Charles Barkley was almost LA bound.

It's safe to say this was a trade storyline that not a lot of people knew about at the time. During his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, Charles Barkley was rumored to be involved in a number of trades. Well, in an interview Barkley revealed that he was told he was being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

It was going crazy for two weeks so I knew it would come down to Portland, [the] Lakers or Phoenix. So I get a call from my agent one morning and he said, "Philly has traded you to the Lakers." So I went to lunch and started drinking. I'm f---ing so excited that I am going to the Lakers. Three hours later I get a f---ing phone call from my agent saying that the Sixers backed out of the deal. I said, "Oh, s--t, I'm feeling pretty good right now." So I went out and played that night.

Unfortunately for Barkley, the trade would eventually fall through. The rumored proposal involved the Lakers trading James Worthy and Elden Campbell for Charles Barkley and Ron Anderson. That would eventually lead to Barkley being traded to the Phoenix Suns, in a move that made Barkley one of the most legendary Phoenix Suns players in the organization's history.

#3 Stephen Curry in the Desert?

Stephen Curry was almost Phoenix bound on Draft night

This was a potential trade that was incredibly close to happening. Leading up to the 2009 NBA Draft, it was rumored that the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors had a deal in place. The trade would send Amar'e Stoudemire to Golden State in exchange for the seventh overall pick, which the Suns were expected to select Stephen Curry with. The funniest part about the entire situation was the man who was the GM of the Phoenix Suns at the time. That's right, current Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. It was rumored that the trade was agreed to until there was some hesitation regarding Amar'e Stoudemire's physical.

#2 Kobe Bryant to the Detroit Pistons

We almost saw Kobe Bryant in a Detroit Pistons uniform

There had been a number of rumored Kobe Bryant trades over his career but this was one of the most controversial that was later confirmed by Kobe himself. Appearing on Grantland Basketball Hour, Kobe confirmed that a deal with the Detroit Pistons was agreed to in principle that would have sent Bryant to the Pistons. The trade would have sent Bryant to Detroit in exchange for Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Amir Johnson and a first-round pick. At the time of the trade, Kobe Bryant was one of the few players in the NBA that had a no-trade clause. The problem with that, is that Kobe wasn't very intrigued with the idea of playing in Detroit. If the trade went through, Kobe would have teamed up with Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace to make a dangerous trio for the Pistons.

#1 CP3 to the Other LA Team

Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant were almost teammates in LA

You could argue that this is simply the most controversial trade storyline in NBA history. It's a massive move that was expected to completely shift the entire state of the league. There was a three-team deal in place that would have sent rising star Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers. Other expected pieces to be traded included Lamar Odom and others to the Hornets, with the Rockets receiving Pau Gasol. On top of that, rumors were that the Lakers were in the process of potentially trading for Dwight Howard. Gilbert Arenas recently went on to leak that the trade was going to involve him, and the Lakers would have used an amnesty clause, which each team was allowed to use once under the new CBA agreement. This would have given the Lakers Dwight Howard, CP3, and Kobe Bryant in their primes with a serious amount of cap space.

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