Chris Paul Recounts 2011 Lakers Trade Veto: “They Said It Was All About Competitive Balance”

In case anyone missed it in the flood of All-Star-related news, Chris Paul retired from the game of basketball last week. It’s been an unfortunate farewell tour for Paul, as he was shockingly dismissed from the Clippers in the dead of night in December, then was sent to Toronto in a three-team deal that for L.A., was just designed to clear a roster spot and save some money.

Paul never reported to the Raptors, and after being waived, opted to retire. He finished his 21-year career second all-time in assists and steals, and despite a difficult reputation, will go down in history as one of the greatest point guards the league has ever seen.

If there’s one positive to Paul’s career being over, it’s that he now has some free time on his hands, and it looks like he’s decided not to just slowly fade out of sight. CP3 appeared on Tylil James’ YouTube show this week, and as you would expect from someone who played 21 seasons for seven different teams, he had stories to tell.

One of the turning points of Paul’s career came when the Hornets attempted to trade him to the Lakers as the 2011 lockout ended. That would have paired him with Kobe Bryant, but the trade was vetoed by then-commissioner David Stern. Not long after, Paul was indeed shipped to L.A., but to the Clippers instead.

After explaining how the league itself took over operations of the Hornets due to ownership running out of money and failing to find a new buyer, Paul said, “The Lakers traded for me … the next thing you know, the league rescinded it. Said, ‘Nope. Nope, ain’t no trade.'”

“I was excited,” he said about the prospect of teaming up with Kobe. “But it was crazy, because when they rescinded it, they said, ‘Be ready to play the whole year back here,’ and then it was quiet. The league said no.”

“What happened was a few of the owners for other teams, they said we just came out of the lockout, we just did a new CBA, and they said it was all about competitive balance. So they said if I went to the Lakers, it wasn’t gonna be competitive balance. Now where’s the league?” Paul asked.

It has to be frustrating for Paul to know that the NBA stopped him from joining forces with Kobe. But the league had no issue with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh teaming up in Miami the year before, nor did the powers-that-be eventually do anything to stop Kevin Durant from joining a Warriors team that had just won 73 games the year before.

Paul did eventually make it to the Finals, but it was many years after the failed trade to the Lakers. He helped lead the Suns there in 2021, but after going up 2-0, they lost four straight to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.

Paul may not have a ring, but he still had a phenomenal career, and he can take comfort in knowing that the thought of him on the Lakers scared the other owners so much that they teamed up to block it from happening. You can’t exactly hang a banner for that, but it’s something.