Five years ago on this day, the Los Angeles Lakers seemingly made another blockbuster deal. A three-team trade between the Lakers, New Orleans Hornets, and Houston Rockets was agreed to that would have sent Chris Paul to the Lakers. Everything looked set until then-NBA Commissioner David Stern vetoed the trade for ‘basketball reasons.’
The NBA had bought the Hornets from former owner George Shinn, but it was believed that New Orleans general manager Dell Demps was in control of all personnel moves. That didn’t stop Stern from canceling the trade, however, and altering the landscape of the NBA as we know it.