The history of the NBA is filled with hundreds of possible trades and draft acquisitions that never came to be.
However, some are bigger than others and could have quite literally changed the future of the game.
A trade from the past that never happened has just been revealed and it was a big one.
Paul George was close to being traded to Cleveland in 2017 and teaming up with Kyrie and LeBron James.
Kevin Love & picks to Denver, & Pacers would’ve received Gary Harris & picks to make it happen.
(per @WindhorstESPN) pic.twitter.com/6t7viLCU7u
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) November 10, 2022
Brian Windhorst claims that Paul George was close to being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in 2017.
The trade would have required that Kevin Love and draft picks be sent to the Denver Nuggets while the Indiana Pacers would have gotten Gary Harris and draft picks of their own.
Obviously, this trade never happened but it could have truly changed the future course for each of these players and the teams they led.
James, Irving & George
Imagine the power of the Cavs if they had the three players mentioned.
The team already had plenty of talent with James and Irving leading the way but George would have given them a wonderful chance at another Finals ring.
It also would have greatly altered the future for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers, the two teams that George has played for since.
This trade could have perhaps also affected the Los Angeles Lakers too: maybe James would have stuck around in Cleveland for a few more years with George on board.
As you can see, this potential deal would have had an impact on both the East and the West.
For whatever reason, it never ended up happening and we all know what was next for each player.
Today, James, Irving, and George are all fighting hard on different teams with various levels of success.
NEXT: Are The Cavs Really As Good As Their Record So Far?