The "what if" moment that changed every NBA team forever

No matter which team you cheer for, there is at least one major what-if moment in every NBA franchise's history. In fact, were it possible, many fans would likely choose to alter their team's history to try to right a wrong and see how things would be different.

That could be drafting a bust instead of a future Hall of Famer, not landing a big free agent, or coming up just short in a crucial game that might have cost their team a title. With every franchise having at least one what-if moment—some have several—let's take a look at the "what if" moment that changed every NBA team forever.

Atlanta Hawks: What if the Hawks drafted Chris Paul?

In the 2005 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks made the fateful decision to pick forward Marvin Williams over point guards Deron Williams and Chris Paul. This is despite the Hawks having more of a need at point guard, with only Tyronn Lue and Royal Ivey on the roster at the time, than at forward.

That proved to be an awful decision, with Paul and Deron Williams both turning into multi-time all-star point guards while Marvin Williams simply became a useful role player. Passing up on Paul hurts more, though, especially since he is widely considered to be one of the five greatest point guards ever. Worse yet, he could have been the key to unlocking the Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, and Al Horford-era Hawks.

After all, they consistently made the playoffs, but their ceiling was that of a second-round team. Had he had that type of roster around him, Paul might've stuck around longer than he did in New Orleans, especially in a weaker East. In fact, there would have definitely been a path to the NBA Finals and, possibly, a championship. Instead, the Hawks managed to make the playoffs ten straight times after the 2005 draft, including five times with Marvin Williams. However, they may have won multiple titles with CP3.