At the conclusion of the 1996-97 season, the Chicago Bulls front office had their sights on a complete rebuild. They felt their championship window had closed and wanted to get rid of Scottie Pippen, who had developed a rift with then general manager Jerry Krause. Pippen was eventually dealt to the Houston Rockets a year later, which was the start of the Bulls’ shake up.
But many may not be aware of the fact that the Rockets nearly landed Dennis Rodman in a trade they had discussed with the Bulls a year before they landed Pippen.