The Trade That Almost Was

Chris Paul dropped a jaw-dropping NBA twist: in 2011, he nearly traded to the Lakers—same night he spoke with Kobe Bryant on the phone. The deal, which would’ve sent Pau Gasol to Houston and landed Paul in L.A. with a massive package including Lamar Odom and Goran Dragic, collapsed amid league turmoil. Paul called it an “emotional roller coaster,” and while Kobe’s legacy remained intact with five rings, the missed connection could’ve rewritten history. Paul later reached the Finals with Phoenix, but that vetoed Lakers move? Pure “what if” NBA lore. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/bf58e7e909df2cf4