Hypotheticals in sports are fun. “What if this happened?” is a question fans love to ponder, especially when it involves imagining superstars who have never played on the same team sharing a locker room. Kevin Durant, in a recent Boardroom interview with Hakeem Olajuwon, touched on a scenario that would have been groundbreaking, to say the least.
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Michael Jordan was drafted third overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 Draft, behind Olajuwon, who went to the Rockets, and Sam Bowie, who was selected by the Trail Blazers. However, Olajuwon suggested there was a chance Jordan could have ended up in Houston instead. According to the rumor, the Rockets would have sent Ralph Sampson to Portland in exchange for the No. 2 overall pick and Clyde Drexler. Unlike what the Trail Blazers ultimately did, Houston would have used that No. 2 pick to select Jordan.
So, it could have been another dynasty. Olajuwon, Drexler, and MJ on the same team would have rewritten basketball history the same way the ’90s Bulls did. And according to Durant, no one was beating that trio.
After the Rockets’ win over the Clippers on Tuesday, Durant addressed the media, who were rather interested in his conversation with Olajuwon. Michael Shapiro asked him if any team he had ever been on could match the hypothetical Rockets side involving the three icons.
“Hell no,” Durant replied. “That would have been insane right there. MJ, Clyde, and Hakeem down there in Houston. That would have been sick. I don’t think anybody would have managed to beat those three.”
During Kevin Durant’s interview with Hakeem Olajuwon, they discussed a trade that could have brought Clyde Drexler and Michael Jordan to Houston alongside Hakeem.
Kevin Durant was asked by @mshap2 if any team he has been on could have matched up with that hypothetical team.… pic.twitter.com/EMLk362LMq
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) February 11, 2026
The two-time champ further spoke about how that trio had everything. They were good on offense and defense. In Jordan, they would have had one of the best defenders and scorers in league history.
It appeared as though Durant would have loved for that trade between Houston and Portland to go through. He noted that there have been countless “close trades” in NBA history that fell apart at the last moment. “You never know what conversations these execs and GMs are having with each other,” Durant stated, reflecting on how easily the league’s history could have looked completely different had just one deal been finalized.
Behind the scenes, Jordan’s career was filled with hypotheticals and near-misses. As the best player in the world, he was naturally coveted by general managers across the league, even though the Bulls never seriously entertained any offers. There were also moments of tension, particularly when Jerry Krause explored roster changes, including discussions that involved moving Scottie Pippen for younger talent such as Tracy McGrady. Jordan made it clear he had no interest in being part of a rebuild.
Fortunately for 1990s Bulls fans, none of those scenarios materialized. Jordan remained in Chicago through 1998, retiring for the second time after leading the franchise to its sixth championship.
