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

New Orleans Pelicans: What if the Pelicans were able to trade Chris Paul to the Lakers?

Had Stern let the trade go through, the Pelicans would have added then-reigning sixth man of the year Lamar Odom, Goran Dragic, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, and a first-round pick. That is a surprisingly decent haul for a superstar in their prime, and while they wouldn't have received a bundle of picks, they probably still would have been a playoff team by adding four rotation players, including at least three starters.

Still, with Stern acting as the owner of the Pelicans, he vetoed the trade, which allowed the Clippers to swoop in and offer a package of Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al Faroq-Aminu, and the pick that was used to draft Austin Rivers. In retrospect, the first package proved to be better, though the cost of those veterans likely played into the decision to veto the trade with the NBA trying to find an owner at the time.

Gorden was an up-and-coming player, as was Al Faroq-Aminu, while Kaman was an all-star with the Clippers. Add in that they weren't projected to be that good, and it all but ensured that the Pelicans would get two lottery picks in 2010. One of which turned into Anthony Davis. Ultimately, things didn't work out with Davis, and the Pelicans received a haul for him, but it would certainly be interesting to see whether they would have been better off with the Lakers trade.