After the 2011 NBA lockout ended, a brief offseason ensued. Then-New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul was at the center of trade talks.
Finally, a trade was in the works to send Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers. It was a three-way trade with the Houston Rockets that would send Lamar Odom, Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, and Goran Dragic to New Orleans while Houston would receive Pau Gasol. However, the trade was ultimately struck down by commissioner David Stern. Paul ended up being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he and Blake Griffin would form the famous “lob city” tandem.
But what would the NBA look like if the deal that would have sent Paul to the Lakers didn’t fall through? What if David Stern didn’t veto this trade.
Obviously, the NBA as we know it would look completely different. For the Lakers, the front court combo of CP3 and Kobe Bryant would have been unstoppable. Their team during the 2011-12 season had the third best record in the Western Conference, so with Paul on their side, they might have been even better. At the very least, they would have challenged the Thunder. Perhaps they could have made it to the finals, which would give us that elusive Kobe versus Lebron series that we never got.
It’s worth noting Pau Gasol’s absence however. The Lakers could have used Metta World Peace at the four, or even Josh McRoberts, Luke Walton, or Troy Murphy. But the lack of Gasol would be quite noticeable.
Things would have changed a little when the Lakers picked up Dwight Howard and got rid of Andrew Bynum after the season. On paper it would be a good squad, but Howard’s injury troubles ended his first stint with the Lakers, and the same would be true here. But Paul and Bryant would have helped Los Angeles stay afloat and potentially place higher in the Western Conference Playoffs. However, Kobe’s injury at the end of that season had severe negative effects on the Lakers, and it would have hurt them just as bad in our new scenario, likely resulting in a first round playoff exit.
Once Bryant recovered, he and Paul would help keep the Lakers somewhat relevant for a little bit longer than they were in real time. With Paul on the Lakers, this would mean that Los Angeles probably would have never traded for Steve Nash.
Things wouldn’t have changed much in New Orleans. The departure of Paul put them in a tailspin. They wouldn’t reach the playoffs again until 2015, and the same would probably be true here. They might be a little better with the additions of Odom and Martin, but again, not much would be different.
In Houston, the Rockets would have Kyle Lowry, Marcus Camby, and Paul Gasol, which could have possibly helped them get to the playoffs. The addition of James Harden the next year would have been a huge boost for them, just as it was in our timeline. But Harden and Gasol on the same team would have been a lethal offensive combo. And it wouldn’t be too long before Dwight Howard would join them.
Without Paul, the Clippers would not have become the powerhouse that they did in real time. Houston, on the other hand, would have likely challenged the Thunder and Warriors for Western Conference supremacy.
Ultimately, the entire NBA as we know it would look completely different if Paul had gone to the Lakers. The Lakers might’ve been able to keep their heads above water for a little longer, and maybe not burned through so many head coaches. But CP3 and Kobe in action together would have been fun to see.
