The No.1 Anti-Fans in Basketball
Chapter 271 - 156: The Toppled Dominoes_3

Chapter 271: Chapter 156: The Toppled Dominoes_3

This was within Hansen’s expectations; after all, such a maneuver impacted the team minimally and, more importantly, was the most cost-effective.

At that moment, Stern’s "basketball reasons" officially emerged.

This triggered strong protests from Lakers fans, particularly Kobe fans.

Because the Hornets management had already accepted the offer, but Stern vetoed it for an absurd reason.

It was understood that this could have been Kobe fans’ last chance to secure a sixth championship and surpass Jordan.

But with a bit of thought, it became clear this was likely vetoed by other team owners in the League.

Experts across social media analyzed the situation, hitting upon a critical point.

Would Kobe plus Paul be strong?

Indeed, they would be strong, but not so dominant that other League teams would be alarmed, especially since the Lakers would lose Gasol and Odom in the trade.

The true key was the 2012 free agent market.

Even if the Magic team forcibly refused to trade Howard this season, in 2012 Howard could opt out to become a free agent.

Then, although the Lakers would lack cap space, they could trade Bynum as leverage to unite Paul, Kobe, and Howard into a fearsome trio—the real super Big Three.

Three top-five League players, even more fearsome than the Heat.

The Heat’s peak Big Three was already daunting enough for other team owners; introducing another super Big Three would completely discourage them; what’s left for them to play for?

It seemed the events were unfolding just as Hansen knew they would.

However, the next day brought a different development.

After learning he was part of the trade deal, Odom requested a trade from the Lakers, but the Mavericks were not interested in acquiring Odom at that time.

Although somewhat delayed, Cuban acted, re-signing Baria and West indicating his determination to keep the squad intact, and he was also actively negotiating with Chandler and Caron Butler.

More importantly, at this point, Kobe made his voice heard.

Kobe rarely interfered with team management decisions, the sole occasion being in 2007 when he requested a trade for roster reinforcements.

Then, spurred by O’Neal’s fifth championship, he spoke out for the second time.

The immediate result was the Lakers increased their offering in the trade.

The change in chips meant Gasol was now Bynum.

This switch, like a domino effect, led to a series of changes.

Gasol was indeed valuable, but at 31, his performance was noticeably declining.

Bynum, on the other hand, was different; at 23, he had a bright future.

Especially considering Houston’s knack for developing centers, if the Lakers were willing to part with Bynum, they were naturally prepared to up the ante.

And the most significant enhancement in their offer was swapping Dragic for Lowry.

Lowry joined the Rockets in the 2008-2009 season and swiftly became their starting point guard when Brooks was injured last season, averaging 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game.

As the man who once outplayed Conley to start, Lowry’s sturdy build, along with his playmaking and shooting abilities—dubbed "Little Steel Cannon"—was highly regarded in the League.

Or to put it more bluntly, at that time, Dragic was just a backup-level player in the League, a white player who lacked physicality in contests.

Such changes in trade chips significantly raised the Rockets’ offer to meet Stern’s demands.

Of course, the most crucial point was, by letting go of Bynum, the Lakers lost their leverage to trade for Howard.

In terms of trade value, Gasol at that time was far less appealing than Bynum.

The Lakers could trade for Howard using Bynum, but a 32-year-old Gasol by then?

The Magic would turn into an extremely aloof goddess, and even involving a third party in the trade would be challenging.

So this effectively eliminated the possibility of a Kobe, Paul, Howard lineup for the next season.

Thus, on December 15, the last day of the free agency market, a four-team trade that even Hansen didn’t expect was completed.

The Hornets sent out Paul and Okafor and received Scola, Kevin Martin, Lowry, Nate Robinson, and a 2012 first-round pick from the Rockets, a 2012 first-round pick from the Lakers, and a future second-round pick from the Thunders;

The Rockets traded Scola, Kevin Martin, Lowry, Jordan Hill, and their 2012 first-round pick in exchange for Bynum and Odom;

The Thunders traded Nate Robinson and a future second-round pick to acquire Derek Fisher;

The Lakers traded Bynum, Odom, Fisher, their 2012 first-round pick to get Paul, Okafor, and Jordan Hill.

—Divider—

① Restricted free agent: Refers to a player at the end of their rookie contract whereby the home team has the right of first refusal on any offer sheet the player signs with another team. The home team has a fixed period to decide whether to match the offer sheet.