NBA Trade: 11 shocking NBA trades that almost happened

1. LeBron James - Los Angeles Lakers

This was a situation that wasn't exactly too close to happening but couldn't be left out solely due to the magnitude of the trade

In 2007 Kobe Bryant was looking to move out of Los Angeles and as you can imagine, there were quite a few teams that were looking to bring "The Black Mamba" into their squad.

The Chicago Bulls came closest to doing so, but the deal never materialized once Bryant didn't agree to be dealt in a trade that involved Luol Deng.

The Lakers were still looking to find a suitable trade for him and contacted Cleveland for a deal that would send Bryant to the Cavaliers in exchange for LeBron James.

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert though, being as ambitious as he is, declined the trade and in turn offered pretty much every other player on their roster for Bryant. The Lakers replied with an emphatic no.

If either of these trades had taken place, the complexion of the NBA would have been completely altered. LeBron on the Lakers would have been exactly what they required to bring back the "Showtime" aura to L.A. while if Kobe had actually been able to pair up with James, that would have been the greatest duo to ever play on the same team.