The NBA isn't just filled with high-flying dunks, logo 3-pointers and buzzer beaters. It is also a league that has plenty of what-ifs. From time to time, we hear about failed deals that would've brought generational stars on one team — and fans start fantasizing about how many titles that team would've won.
In 2006, the Philadelphia 76ers were looking to end their partnership with star guard Allen Iverson . He had been with the team since his rookie year and had helped propel the organization to become one of the best in the East. But it didn't yield a title.
The time had come for both parties to go their separate ways.
During the entire ordeal, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett was urging the front office to pursue Iverson. The Wolves were a bottom-feeding team then and were hoping for a plot twist in their narrative. KG felt that adding another superstar like A.I. would turn their fate around.
Unfortunately, the Wolves didn't have anything to offer for Iverson. Garnett was the organization's sole superstar at that point. They wanted to pair the two big names, not swap them straight up. It was the Denver Nuggets who won the A.I. lottery by arranging a trade package that included Andre Miller , Joe Smith and two first-round picks in the 2007 NBA draft.
KG admitted that having A.I. don the Wolves jersey would've been a "very, very nice Christmas present."
" It's just going to be real interesting to see the two top scorers on one team with one ball," Garnett added, via the Los Angeles Times. "I'm looking forward to watching them play. Denver has a fun style to play against."
"I know Andre Miller made a lot of things easier for those guys," he said. "I know [Iverson's] going to make it a lot easier on 'Melo knowing that you have to tend to another scorer on the floor. So things should open up, and as a fan , I'm looking forward to watching them play. As a competitor, I'm looking forward to playing against them."
The Carmelo Anthony - Iverson duo looked good on paper, but it never really met expectations. The two stars were both regularly dropping 30 points, but they never really intimidated teams. After about a season and a half, the Nuggets pulled the plug on the A.I. experiment.
As for Garnett, his patience was withering. The Wolves missed the playoffs again in the 2005-06 season. The following year, even after a mid-season coaching switch, Minnesota still didn't make the postseason.
If the Iverson trade pushed through, would the Wolves become playoff contenders again? Critically, would Garnett have stayed? After all, the Big Ticket requested a trade in the summer of 2007.
The Wolves honored the star's request by sending him to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Al Jefferson , Ryan Gomes , Sebastian Telfair , Gerald Green , Theo Ratliff, cash considerations and a slew of draft choices. For the first time in his career, Garnett was in a prime spot to win that coveted Larry O'Brien trophy. He didn't waste this opportunity and helped the C's defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the 2008 NBA Finals.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
