Chris Paul is playing his 21st year in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers , becoming part of a short list of aging veterans that includes LeBron James and Kyle Lowry . And like many of his peers, the 40-year-old Paul is nearing retirement, putting his long and legendary career in the spotlight.
He is part of the NBA 75TH Anniversary Team, has earned 12 All-Star, four All-NBA First team and seven All-Defensive First team selections. As one of the league's purest floor generals, he sits second behind John Stockton in the All-Time Assists list with 12,513 assists.
So indeed, the Point God has a lot to look back on once he wraps up his career. And when asked by ESPN's Marc Spears what he will remember the most, Paul answered with the biggest what-ifs in the modern era: his blocked trade to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011.
After the 2010-2011 NBA season, Paul found himself on the trading block. He was part of a three-team deal involving the then-New Orleans Hornets , Lakers and Houston Rockets . However, the trade was vetoed by the late NBA commissioner David Stern .
The deal would have sent him to the storied Purple and Gold franchise, pairing him up with Kobe Bryant. The then-26-year-old CP3 had already proven himself to be one of the league's most elite point guards, so a duo with the lethal Black Mamba at the two would have created a nightmare backcourt for the league.
Bryant blamed the league , believing that the owners did not want the Lakers, who were coming off back-to-back championships, to improve. He knew that Paul would have been a perfect fit for L.A.'s dynasty. But the trade did not happen, and he landed with the Clippers. He would turn things around for the franchise and become the focal point of the famous "Lob City" era.
Talking to Spears, Paul said that he talked about this matter privately with Kobe after it happened, a conversation he still remembers to this day.
"The thing that I look back on and I" ll be like, dang, that's crazy. I can't believe that happened? It'll probably be that trade with me and Kobe [Bryant]," he said. "I vividly remember the conversation that me and Kobe had that night that I will talk about one day. But that was just a wild situation."
In the past, Paul talked about his relationship with the late Bryant and expressed his frustration when the trade fell through.
"I hate that that opportunity didn't get to happen, especially at that point in my career," Paul said in 2023 on the Pivot Podcast. "How we got a chance to play together, I think it could have been fun."
Bryant died in a helicopter crash in 2020. Now, five years have flown by since his passing, and Paul said he would notice his absence every once in a while.
"Like I say all the time, 'It's almost just like we haven't talked in a while,'" he said. "That's the way I look at that situation."
Since leaving the Clippers in 2016-2017, Paul has been with five teams, reaching the Finals once with the Phoenix Suns . He returned to L.A. ahead of the 2025-2026 NBA season.
His blocked Lakers trade will forever be included in the long list of the biggest what-if scenarios in the NBA. Now, Paul is aiming to help the Clippers end their and his championship drought, which has haunted him throughout his career, hoping to avoid adding another what-if to the list.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
