2. 2006 — Corey Maggette and Shaun Livingston for 76ers’ Allen Iverson
By mid-December of the 2005–2006 NBA season, there was a sense of rejuvenation within the Clippers organization. They were well above the .500 mark thanks to the All-Star play of Elton Brand along with his strong supporting cast of viable scorers. For the first time since the early 1990s, the Clippers were well on track for a winning season.
This was not enough for team general manager Elgin Baylor; he aspired to shock the NBA.
Over this time period, Allen Iverson was in the headlines because of the 76ers’ pursuit to trade him. And among the teams that showed interest in such a deal were the Clippers.
According to the Los Angeles Times, both teams had discussed a deal revolving around Iverson earlier in the year. The 76ers inquired for both Corey Maggette and Shaun Livingston, but the Clippers declined over their high hopes for the latter. In December, the Clippers attempted to send Maggette to the 76ers after receiving a trade request from his agent, Rob Pelinka. The 76ers again put forth their efforts to send Iverson to the Clippers on the contingent that they include Livingston, but team GM Baylor refused to do so.
Talks went nowhere as the 76ers decided to instead send the former NBA MVP winner to the Denver Nuggets. The Clippers went on to make the playoffs for the first time since the 1990s.
This is one intriguing what-if trade.
The Clippers were clearly betting on Livingston to transcend the franchise. It did not turn out to be the case due to an excruciating injury that Livingston suffered later in the season where he took an awkward fall following a missed layup attempt; he tore his ACL, PCL and had several other career-threatening injuries. Livingston ended up making his return to action nearly two years later.
Had this trade gone through, the Clippers would have gone on to garner much-needed attention in Los Angeles for their new Iverson and Brand one-two punch. Now with Iverson in the Western Conference, just think about how a playoff series would go between the former scoring champion and Steve Nash. And basketball fans in LA would have been treated to four Kobe Bryant vs Allen Iverson duels per season.