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In 2011, then NBA commissioner David Stern vetoed a blockbuster move that would have seen Chris Paul join hands with Kobe Bryant at the LA Lakers. Instead, Paul joined the LA Clippers a week later, altering the future of these three franchises - the LA Lakers, LA Clippers and New Orleans Hornets.
Revealing the reason why the NBA vetoed a Chris Paul to LA Lakers trade back in 2011
According to multiple reports, the NBA, led by commissioner David Stern, vetoed a Chris Paul to LA Lakers trade in 2011 because of pressure from various NBA team owners.
Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban vehemently expressed their displeasure over the proposed trade. That played a pivotal role in the trade getting rejected.
Gilbert went as far as sending a letter to commissioner Stern, who then wilted under the goading of the owners and vetoed the trade. At that point, the New Orleans Hornets were owned by the league itself, with 29 other team owners acting as shareholders.
The owners believed that Chris Paul joining the LA Lakers would have disrupted the balance of the league. It would have allowed the franchise to acquire the superstar point guard without giving up any draft picks and saving $40 million. Stern cited 'basketball reasons' for vetoing the trade, which would've positioned the LA Lakers as title contenders for several years.
The proposed three-team trade would have ended with Paul joining forces with Bryant at the Lakers. The Houston Rockets would have received star center Pau Gasol. The New Orleans Hornets would have acquired Lamar Odom (from the Lakers), Luis Scola (from Houston), Kevin Martin (from Houston) and Goran Dragic (from Houston).
Also Read: Ben Simmons to Portland Trail Blazers: A boom or bust trade for both parties?
But after the trade was vetoed, Chris Paul then joined the Lakers' city rivals, the LA Clippers. The New Orleans Hornets received Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu and Timberwolves unprotected 2012 draft pick (which later became Austin Rivers).
The trade didn't work out well for anyone involved, as Chris Paul didn't even manage to make the conference finals with the Clippers. The Hornets didn't get productive outings from any of these players. However, they did end up drafting Anthony Davis as a result of finishing with the third-worst record in the league.
The Houston Rockets went through an era of rebuilding and mediocrity, and could've used the services of Gasol as Yao Ming was slowly planning his exit from the NBA.
Fast forward to the present, Chris Paul is 36 and is in contention to win his first NBA title with the impressive Phoenix Suns. The LA Lakers have a star duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James, who ended a 10-year trophy drought for the franchise by winning the Larry O'Brien championship in 2020.
