In 2011, Chris Paul was traded from the New Orleans Hornets to the Los Angeles Clippers, turning a perennially underwhelming team into an instant contender. But a trade was originally proposed that would have sent him to the other L.A. team...before getting vetoed by Commissioner David Stern. This forever stained Stern’s resume as commissioner and forced Kobe to spend his final years drowning at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
The Hornets ended up giving up Paul and two second round picks for a package of Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu, and the Timberwolves’ 2012 first round pick, which turned into Austin Rivers. But if David Stern had allowed the Chris Paul trade to the Lakers, the Hornets would have received Goran Dragic, Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, and a 2012 first round pick that turned into Royce White. Without Eric Gordon’s injury bringing the team down, the Hornets may not have had the opportunity to draft Anthony Davis, but what else would have changed?