Breaking news : 13 Years Ago Today, Chris Paul’s Blockbuster Trade To Lakers Was Vetoed By David Stern
On December 9, 2011, the Los Angeles Lakers found out that their recent blockbuster trade to land Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets had been who was acting on behalf of the Governors in vetoing the trade after the Hornets franchise came under league control prior to a change in ownership.
The trade taking Paul to the Lakers was a three-team affair including the Houston Rockets as well which would have ended up splitting the Kobe Bryant and Pau duo in LA.
This deal would have created an incredible team in Los Angeles, with 27-year-old Paul joining the Lakers in his prime to create a superstar backcourt for the Lakers which could have given Kobe a few more years of contention atop the NBA.
Unfortunately, Stern’s intervention meant that Paul would later be traded to the rival Los Angeles Clippers, ushering in the most successful era of the franchise with Paul and forming the
Stern’s decision as the de-facto owner of the Hornets at the time has been debated endlessly in the years since. Many believe Stern buckled under the pressure of other team owners who pushed to ensure the trade to the Lakers wasn’t completed, as it was made by the outgoing Hornets front office at the time. Under pressure from owners like and GMs like , the Lakers trade was vetoed.
Nobody questioned the addition of Paul to the Clippers instead, as it didn’t further push the Lakers’ dominance over that era of the NBA further. Paul would peak as a second-round exit with the Clippers anyway, while the Lakers would fade from contention after blockbuster moves went wrong in the years since
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