Sometimes the best storylines are the ones that never came to be.

The most exciting part of the NBA season is the off-season, as fans fantasize about their favorite players and favorite teams. After all, the game is much bigger than what happens on the court, and as a result, morning shows and analysts continue to break down every facet of the game for the fans to enjoy.

More often than not, speculating on what may or may not happen is half the fun. Instead of focusing on what is, let’s look at what almost was and revisit some of the biggest ‘What Ifs’ in NBA history.

Tim Duncan Joins the Magic in 2000

The greatest NBA dynasty that never was

Because of his immense success in San Antonio, it is hard to imagine the greatest power forward of all time playing anywhere else. Yet, after winning his first championship in 1999, Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs lost pretty handily to the Phoenix Suns the following season, and what now seems impossible was very close to becoming a reality.

With an already-established superstar in Tracy McGrady and loads to spend, the Orlando Magic emerged as front-runners to land Duncan that off-season. However, they didn’t see the sites on Duncan alone.

The team was very intrigued by the prospect of adding a third star to the mix and becoming the NBA’s next great dynasty. That third star ended up being future Hall of Famer, Grant Hill

The Potential Trio’s Stats from the Previous Season
Player	PPG	RPG	APG	FG%
Tim Duncan	23.2	12.4	3.2	49.0
Tracy McGrady	15.4	6.3	3.3	45.1
Grant Hill	25.8	6.6	5.2	48.9

The Magic met with both Hill and Duncan that summer, and according to Hill, the deal was as good as done until one crucial mistake cost them everything.

Featuring on the All the Smoke podcast, Hill explains that a rule enforced by head coach Doc Rivers was what led Duncan elsewhere.

https://twitter.com/allthesmokeprod/status/1674443128080613376

Rivers has since denounced the theory, but somewhere along the way, he and the Magic’s front office dropped the ball, missing out on possibly the greatest NBA trio of all time.

Bill Walton Never Injures His Foot

Greatest center of all-time?

Less than a month ago, the basketball world lost a legend in Bill Walton. One of the most talented players the NBA has ever seen, Walton quickly made way with the league from the moment he was drafted, winning a championship in only his third season and league MVP the next.

Achieving what would take most people an NBA lifetime in only four seasons, Walton was destined for NBA greatness, but as quickly as he arrived, his career was over in an instant.

Walton’s Resume Before Injury
Season	PPG	RPG	Awards
1974–75	12.8	12.6	N/A
1975–76	16.1	13.4	N/A
1976–77	18.6	14.4	NBA Champion, All-NBA, All-Star, All-Defense, REB Champ and BLK Champ
1977–78	18.9	13.2	MVP, All-NBA, All-Star, All-Defense,

Though his resume was still good enough to earn him entry into the NBA Hall of Fame in 1993, fans are still left to wonder what could have been if the legendary center remained healthy.

Shaq Never Leaves Orlando

Before ‘Shaq and Kobe,’ there was ‘Shaq and Penny’

Of all the teams that have yet to win an NBA championship, none have been put in a better position to succeed than the Orlando Magic. Not only could the team have had one of the greatest NBA trios of all time, but one of the greatest duos as well.

Drafting Shaquille O’Neal with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, the team immediately improved, increasing their win total by 20 games the following season. Bound to make the playoffs. Eventually, the team still had some glaring holes in the roster that needed to be addressed.

In desperate need of a point guard, the team selected Anfernee ‘Penny’ Hardaway in 1993, and after only two seasons together, made the NBA Finals.

Orlando’s Season Outcomes
Season	Outcome
1992–93	Missed Playoffs
1993–94	Swept in First Round
1994–95	Lost in the Finals
1995–96	Swept in Eastern Conf. Finals

The sky was the limit, but pride weighed them down. As Hardaway ascended, tensions grew, forcing O’Neal to jump ship and join the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996. Derailed by injuries, Hardaway’s career would soon take a turn for the worse, creating one of the biggest NBA ‘what ifs’ of all time.

The Thunder Never Trade Harden

They looked better with the beard

It is rare enough for a team to have one MVP-caliber player, but to get three all at once is almost unheard of. The one team lucky enough to do so was the Oklahoma City Thunder. Not only did they have superstars Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, all under the same roof, but in the beginning stages of their careers as well.

OKC’s Young Stars
Player	Age	PPG	WS
Kevin Durant	23	28.0	12.2
Russell Westbrook	23	23.6	7.9
James Harden	22	16.8	9.3

With such an abundance of talent, the team performed well ahead of schedule, making its first NBA Finals appearance in 2012. Though losing to the Miami Heat, the future was bright for the Thunder, and they were expected to tear through the league very soon. However, the more talent a team has, the more money they’ll have to spend.

Under the impression that two stars were enough, the team traded Harden that very summer in exchange for mere pocket change compared to what he would become.

https://twitter.com/JoePompliano/status/1321058689978146817

Ironically, breaking up the NBA’s ‘next big thing’ cost the Thunder more money in the long run and possibly the organization’s first championship in their new city.

The Portland Trio Never Falls Apart

A dynasty derailed by injuries

As far as trios are concerned, not many had more potential than the mid-2000s Portland Trail Blazers. Not only was the team filled with unreal talent, but they all fit together in a way that would cement them as one of the better teams in the West.

Greg Oden was an elite defensive prospect coming out of college, LaMarcus Aldridge was an athletic big with the footwork of a seasoned vet, while Brandon Roy was a lethal scorer, capable of competing with the best of them.

During an appearance on the John Thompson Show, Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant described Roy as the toughest play he has ever had to defend.

“Roy, 365 days, 7 days a week…[He] had no weaknesses in his game.”

– Kobe Bryant

Unlike many young, talented teams, what derailed their run was not money or inexperience, but health.

Blazers’ Trio’s GP by Season
Player	2007–08	2008–09	2009–10	2010–11
Brandon Roy	74	78	65	47
LaMarcus Aldridge	76	81	78	81
Greg Oden	0	61	21	0

Of the three young stars, Aldridge was the only one to have a long and fruitful NBA career, but he didn’t experience much success without the other two stars by his side.

Derrick Rose Never Gets Hurt

A Rose without its thorns

No other NBA player has had a hold on the league quite like Derrick Rose. Beloved by fans everywhere, Rose’s impact was felt across the globe and many believed him to be the NBA’s next greatest superstar.

After only three seasons in the NBA, Rose was already NBA MVP and many viewed him and the Chicago Bulls as the one true challenger to the Miami Heat out East. Through his high-intensity style of play, he won the hearts of many, but the Bulls relied way too much on his athleticism and explosion offensively.

Eventually, his workload took a toll on his body, and Rose tore his ACL in 2012.

MPG Among Point Guards in 2011
Player	MPG
Deron Williams	37.9
John Wall	37.8
Derrick Rose	37.4
Rajon Rondo	37.2
Raymond Felton	36.5

After missing an entire season, Rose suffered yet another injury, tearing his meniscus in 2014. Never returning to MVP form, many still believe that if he remained healthy he could have very well been one of the greatest to ever play.

The Pistons Draft Carmelo in 2003

A legendary scorer with a legendary defense

Drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2003, Carmelo Anthony came into the league as a finished product, winning at every level. He was a high school state champion, NCAA tournament champion, and even an Olympic champion, and his impact was felt the moment he stepped onto the court.

In only six seasons, he managed to reach the Western Conference Finals but failed in dramatic fashion. From that point on, he was no longer regarded as the winner he once was, and possibly his biggest postseason failure wound up becoming his biggest accomplishment. Public opinion on Anthony quickly changed, but his failures were just as much of a reflection on the team as they were on him.

Carmelo’s Postseason Failures since 2009
Seasons	Outcome
2009–10	Lost in the First Round
2010–11	Swept in the First Round
2011–11	Lost in the First Round
2012–13	Lost in the Eastern Conf. Semis
2013–17	Missed Playoffs
2017–18	Lost in the First Round
2018–19	Lost in the First Round

If only he were lucky enough to be on a team that suited him. A team with a savvy veteran point guard, an elite defensive backline, and versatile wings on either side of the ball. If only Anthony had the opportunity to play for a team like that — oh wait, HE DID!

Prior to winning the 2004 NBA championship, the Detroit Pistons had the opportunity to select Anthony with the second overall pick, but chose Serbian superstar, Darko Miličić instead. If the Pistons had taken Anthony, there is no telling what they could have accomplished.

The Lakers Trade for Chris Paul

The Lake Show over Lob City

No NBA player has had more bad luck than “the Point God” himself, Chris Paul. Whether it be blowing a 3-1 lead to the Houston Rockets in 2015, or injuring his hamstring in Game 5 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals, Paul has had his fair share of disappointing losses.

His biggest loss, however, took place off the court when NBA Commissioner David Stern, vetoed a trade that would have sent Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers to play alongside the legendary Kobe Bryant. Allegedly, the deal fell apart due to CBA complications, but many speculate otherwise.

That same year, the Lakers would acquire Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic, and many experts around the league suggest that the trade only fell apart out of fear.

Lakers’ Potential Lineups with Paul
PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Chris Paul	Kobe Bryant	Metta World Peace	Jordan Hill	Dwight Howard
Steve Blake	Jodie Meeks	Devin Ebanks	Antawn Jamison	Robert Sacre

With a backcourt pairing of Bryant and Paul could have replaced Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson as the greatest of all time, and with Howard manning the middle, the Lakers would have been unstoppable. Luckily for the rest of the league, the proposed trade never became a reality.

The Blazers Draft Jordan in 1984

The Jumpman glides with Clyde

With the NBA Draft approaching fast, one mistake that NBA franchises continue to make year after year is drafting for need, rather than talent. There are countless examples of teams passing up some of the NBA’s greatest talent for the sake of “fit,” most notably being the Portland Trail Blazers in 1984.

With the second overall pick, the team had a bevy of options to choose from at every position.

One shooting guard in particular caught the eyes of many, but because the Blazers had a surplus of talent at that spot, they elected to go in a different direction.

Blazers’ 1984-85 Shooting Guards’ Stats
Player	PPG	REB	AST	FG%
Jim Paxson	17.9	3.3	3.9	51.4
Clyde Drexler	17.2	6.0	5.5	49.4

By choosing to select big man, Sam Bowie, despite his injury history, the Blazers had seemingly put themselves in a position to compete for a long time. In reality, they had deprived themselves of an NBA dynasty.

The player that the Blazers decided to pass up was none other than the greatest to ever live, Michael Jordan. If the team had only done the right thing and drafted Jordan, he and Clyde Drexler could have formed possibly the greatest scoring duo to ever play.

Bias and Lewis Never Tragically Pass

The Celtics’ duo that never came to be

Winning only their second championship in almost 40 years, the Boston Celtics are the winningest franchise in NBA history yet again. Despite having their way with the rest of the league, many fans still accuse the Celtics of being frauds, unworthy of their title. If the franchise is indeed as great as they are said to be, why did it take so long for them to return to the championship stage?

Known for their excellent roster construction and player development, they should have been more than capable of winning, but tragedy got in their way.

Fresh off of their 16th championship, the Celtics had the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, selecting the athletic sharpshooter out of Maryland, Len Bias. Expected to carry on the mantle of the Celtics’ next big star, Bias tragically passed only two days later, never setting foot on the parquet floor. ESPN analyst Jay Bilas was lucky enough to compete against Bias and described him as one of the greatest players he had ever seen.

“He was Superman in a basketball uniform… I’m not saying he would have been as good as [Michael] Jordan, but he would have been a challenger.”

– Jay Bilas

The Celtics, however, did recover, drafting Reggie Lewis only a year later. After an underwhelming rookie season, Lewis quickly elevated his game and became a glimmer of hope for the Celtics organization.

Lewis’ Rookie-to-Sophomore Leap
Season	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	FG%
1987–88	49	4.5	1.4	0.5	46.6
1988–89	81	18.5	4.7	2.7	48.6

He was the light at the end of the tunnel, but that light would soon fade, as Lewis collapsed during a pick-up game with friends in the summer of 1993. Suffering from sudden cardiac arrest, Lewis was pronounced dead only moments later.

Practically impossible to recover from, the Celtics struggled to make their way back to the top, but that never stopped fans from wondering just how good the two stars could have been if they lived out their promising careers together.