NBA History: 5 free-agent signings that never happened

A lot of major NBA free-agent signings have taken place over the years. For instance, Shaquille O'Neal said thanks, but no thanks to the Orlando Magic and left town for the Los Angeles Lakers. And more recently, Kevin Durant bolted the Golden State Warriors for the Brooklyn Nets.

However, there have been several free-agent deals that never came to fruition despite being surrounded by a bunch of rumors. Paul George never signed with the Lakers, and Carmelo Anthony not landing with the Chicago Bulls are two good examples.

Here are five NBA free-agent signings that never went down:

Jason Kidd to the San Antonio Spurs

One reason Durant caught flack for signing with the Warriors was that the Warriors had just beaten his Oklahoma City Thunder in the postseason.

Jason Kidd could've made a similar move back in 2003, signing with the San Antonio Spurs, who had just knocked off his New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals.

Kidd, of course, would up staying with the Nets. But it sure would've been cool to see him with the Spurs, dishing the rock to fellow Hall of Famer Tim Duncan and probably winning a couple of titles.

And who knows what happens to Tony Parker, who would've been moved with Kidd taking over at point guard.

Reggie Miller to the New York Knicks

Reggie Miller once scored eight points in 8.9 seconds during a 1995 playoff game against the New York Knicks. Believe it or not, the guy is known as "Knick Killer" could've signed with his rival back in 1996.

New York had cap space then and wanted desperately to land a sharp-shooter. Ultimately, the team signed Allan Houston and Miller wound up staying with the Indiana Pacers.

Just imagine an inside-outside duo of Patrick Ewing and Miller. And also imagine Knicks superfan Spike Lee, who's known for having a feud with Miller, actually rooting for Uncle Reggie.

Although the Knicks would've been a talented ball club with Miller aboard, they still wouldn't have enough firepower to beat Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. Let's just keep it real.

Tim Duncan to the Orlando Magic

During the summer of 2000, two of the league's top free agents, Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady, signed deals with the Orlando Magic. It would've been crazy if Duncan, the biggest free agent that year, wound up joining them in sunny Florida.

Duncan, who had won his first title with the Spurs the previous year, actually came close to signing with the Magic. But he would decide to remain in San Antonio, where he'd win four more rings before his 2016 retirement.

Right off the bat, McGrady blossomed into a superstar with the Magic, and Hill struggled to stay on the court due to injury. Even without Hill, a Duncan-T-Mac duo would've been something special. We might've seen a couple Magic vs. Lakers NBA Finals matchups.

Duncan to Orlando will forever be one of the biggest "what-ifs" in NBA history.

Kobe Bryant to the Los Angeles Clippers

As we all know, the late Kobe Bryant spent his entire career as a member of the Lakers. But it's possible we could've witnessed him join L.A.'s other team, the Los Angeles Clippers.

Back in 2004, Bryant became a free agent for the first time. He and Shaquille O'Neal could no longer co-exist, and Kobe wanted to prove that he could win championships without Shaq's help.

Bryant supposedly said, "Don't worry. I'm a Clipper. But we know how the story goes. Bryant would re-sign with the Lakers and later led the team to a pair of titles as The Man. And meanwhile, O'Neal, whom Bryant had won his first three rings with, was traded to the Miami Heat, pairing with a young Dwyane Wade.

Surely, Laker fans are glad Bryant didn't choose to change locker rooms to rock Clipper red, blue and white. That would've been weird.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to the Chicago Bulls

In 2010, LeBron James took his talents to South Beach, joining forces with fellow free agents Wade and Chris Bosh. The star-studded trio would power the Heat to four NBA Finals appearances, winning two of them. They're easily one of the greatest "Big Threes" to ever grace the hardwood.

But what if James and Wade decided to sign with the Bulls instead? Bosh wouldn't have joined them since Chicago didn't have enough cap space to sign all three.

So that means the Bulls' roster includes the likes of James, Wade, Derrick Rose, and Joakim Noah. With LeBron and D-Wade around, though, Rose would've never been allowed to become the league's youngest-ever MVP.

Yet, the Bulls would've been the team to beat, just like the James and Wade-led Heat were. It's safe to say there would be more than six championship banners in Chicago right now.

Edited by SK_Mod_PJ