Former All-Star guard Chris Paul has looked back on one of the most talked-about moments of his career: the NBA’s decision on December 8, 2011 to cancel a trade that would have sent him from the New Orleans Hornets to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Appearing on “The Tylil Show” after announcing his retirement, Paul said he was “excited” when the deal was first completed following the 2011 lockout. At the time, the Hornets were controlled by the league because former owner George Shinn had run out of money, giving the NBA final authority over roster moves.
“Once the lockout ended and we went back to our teams, I got traded to the Lakers,” Paul said. “Next thing you know, the league rescinded it. A few of the owners said we just came out of a lockout and did a new CBA, and they were all about competitive balance. They said if I went to the Lakers, it wasn’t going to be competitive balance.”
The proposed deal would have paired Paul with Kobe Bryant in what many believed could become one of the league’s most formidable backcourts. Objections from several team owners led then-commissioner David Stern, acting as steward of the Hornets, to void the agreement for “basketball reasons.”
Paul was later traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he helped turn that franchise into a perennial playoff team. The Lakers, meanwhile, pivoted by acquiring Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, a combination that failed to produce a championship.
In the years since, Los Angeles has continued to pursue high-profile trades. The organization most recently landed Luka Doncic, sending Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks before dealing the big man to the Washington Wizards. According to Paul, LeBron James is eager to see how Davis and Trae Young mesh in Washington next season.
The 2011 veto remains one of the most unusual episodes in modern NBA history and a lasting “what if” for both Paul and the Lakers.
Source: Lakers Nation
