Los Angeles Lakers: 5 biggest ‘what-ifs’ of the last 25 years

3. What if Kobe Bryant’s 2007 trade request had been granted?

A decade after Magic Johnson’s brief comeback, the Los Angeles Lakers found themselves in another rebuilding period following the highly publicized breakup of the Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant tandem.

Shaq had been traded in 2004 and Kobe was handed the keys as the Lakers’ franchise player.

As of 2007, it wasn’t going so well.

In that first post-Shaq season, L.A. missed the playoffs. The next year, the Lakers blew a 3-1 series lead in the first round and exited after a bizarre Game 7 against the Phoenix Suns when Kobe apparently decided to stop shooting the ball and spent the second half as a spectator.

In 2007, the Lakers lost to the Suns again in the first round, this time in a more decisive series that was over in five games.

Frustrated, Kobe went on ESPN Radio and said he wanted to be traded.

Reports and rumors from then and now suggest that the Bulls and Detroit Pistons came the closest to reaching a deal with L.A. to get Kobe, who had a no-trade clause in his contract that allowed him to approve or veto any trade involving him.

The Suns and Rockets were also in the mix, and Kobe said he liked the San Antonio Spurs as an option.

There’s even a story that the Lakers called the Cleveland Cavaliers and tried to trade Kobe for LeBron, but the Cavs declined.

What if the Lakers had granted Kobe’s wish and traded him?

Leaving the Lakers would have obviously impacted Kobe’s career in a major way. He was good enough to have won MVPs and championships anywhere he went, but Kobe’s image and legacy as the loyal Laker who never left would’ve been nullified.

Imagine the reaction if Kobe had pulled a Kevin Durant move — a decade prior to Durant — and left the Lakers to join the Phoenix team that had just beaten L.A. in the playoffs twice in a row, including one series in which Kobe’s team squandered a 3-1 lead.

Of course, how a Kobe trade would’ve impacted the Lakers all depends on who the team would’ve received in the trade.

In terms of star power, the best deal on the table for L.A. likely would’ve been with Houston, as the Lakers reportedly could’ve gotten Tracy McGrady in exchange for Kobe.

The Suns would’ve reportedly given up Shawn Marion. The rumored Pistons deal was headlined by Rip Hamilton. The haul from the Bulls would’ve reportedly included Luol Deng and Joakim Noah.

Each proposed deal also involved various combinations of draft picks and spare parts to make the salaries match.

Had the Lakers finalized a deal, the rest depends on what kind of talent they’d have put around those big names. T-Mac in his prime could’ve given L.A. a short window to contend right away if another star had been brought in, but he only had a couple of good years left due to injuries.

Guys like Hamilton, Deng and Marion would’ve been solid All-Stars and nice building blocks for a potential contender, but not the bona fide superstars you typically need to be the face of a title team.

Draft picks are great, but assuming that Kobe’s new team presumably would’ve been good with Kobe at the helm, they wouldn’t be high draft picks.

Of course, Kobe was never traded and the following season the Lakers brought in Pau Gasol to give him the help he needed to win. The future Hall of Fame duo led L.A. to the 2008 Finals, then to back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.

Kobe retired in 2016 after spending 20 seasons with the Lakers.