Trades that Almost Happened Pt. 1

The lovely caveat of the NBA world… what could of been. Oh don’t we all dream of the league the NBA could of been if a few key things would of been different. Today we will visit trades that would of changed the landscape of the NBA, but fell through for some reason.

James Harden- Klay Thompson Swap

The year was 2012, The Thunder helmed by the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook made it to the NBA Finals where they would eventually lose to the LeBron James led Miami Heat. James Harden was the Sixth Man off the bench for that Thunder team and his contract was nearing a end. Harden was expecting no less than a monster contract to sign back with the Thunder and they were not keen on that idea. The Thunder went out exploring trades for the young shooting guard. The first call Thunder GM Sam Presti made was to the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are rumored to offer Future Star Klay Thompson and a undisclosed draft pick for Harden. This trade did not pan out do to salary cap issues. Nevertheless I don’t think either side is complaining.

Kobe Bryant to the Windy City

It was 2007 and Kobe was frustrated with the Lakers organization, he felt like they were not what was right for him anymore and started questioning the decision making of the front office. Kobe wanted out and one team that was Extremely high on his list was the Chicago Bulls. The Lakers and Bulls had a trade package setup that would send Bryant to the Bulls in exchange for Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Ben Gordon, and Joakim Noah. The Lakers told the Bulls that what they were seeking for Kobe and the Bulls agreed to the package, but Kobe wanted Deng to stay in Chicago. The deal ultimately fell apart due to small disagreements and the exclusion of Deng from the deal. Kobe stayed a Laker and won a championship a couple years later. The Bulls rose and fell as all the players they sent to the Lakers were All- Star type players, but fell off steeply soon after.