One of the biggest “what ifs” in NBA history is the notorious Chris Paul deal to the Lakers that was blocked. It would have given the Lakers a potent one-two punch for years by pairing two studs in their prime together. However, everyone moved on because it wasn’t meant to be.
But following the disastrous transaction, LA was never the same. How could they be, practically speaking? The few players the squad had just agreed to send out were returned. Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, two of the team’s essential players, were among them.
Mitch Kupchak’s take on the trade and how it unfolded
Mitch Kupchak, the former general manager of the Lakers, recently spoke out about the trade and how he viewed the players handling it. He spoke with Sportskeeda while Gasol was being inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame, along with a few other ex-Lakers players. According to Sportskeeda :
“It was tough when the trade was rescinded or undone. Both Lamar [Odom] and Pau were brought back to the Lakers. I’m sure, in their minds, it was bad enough that they had been traded. But now to come back, it was very difficult. Much more so for Lamar. Pau worked his way through it. He got through it. But I’m sure he never forgot it. Then when he became a free agent, we tried everything we could to try to bring him back and he chose to leave. I’m sure in the back of his mind”
Returning to one’s team couldn’t have been simple for any of the players involved in the deal. Gasol was moved by the Lakers through a trade, but it backfired. Gary Vitti, a former Lakers athletic trainer, also provided some insight into how Gasol and other players handled the transaction.
“Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol both felt betrayed by that. They both sacrificed parts of their game to make the Lakers successful. Then we turn around and trade him. Lamar never recovered from it. Pau was equally hurt by it, but was much more professional about it.”
The Aftermath of a botched up Trade
Returning to one’s team couldn’t have been simple for any of the players involved in the deal. Gasol was moved by the Lakers through a trade, but it backfired. Gary Vitti, a former Lakers athletic trainer, also provided some insight into how Gasol and other players handled the transaction.
“Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol both felt betrayed by that. They both sacrificed parts of their game to make the Lakers successful. Then we turn around and trade him. Lamar never recovered from it. Pau was equally hurt by it, but was much more professional about it.”
After that, things were strange, and LA never quite regained its championship form. The denied transaction continues to haunt the Lakers as a sad chapter in their history. Without receiving much in return, it made them break up a core that had won championships. However, life is all about learning from your mistakes.
Now that everything has passed, Gasol and Odom will always be Lakers.
