Mavericks' Mark Cuban Shares Details Of Failed Kobe Bryant Trade

The Mavericks almost had an elite duo of Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki

Jan 13, 2010; Dallas, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (8) drives past Dallas Mavericks guard Josh Howard (5) in the fourth quarter at American Airlines Center. The Lakers beat the Mavs 100-95. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images / Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Kobe Bryant only ever played for the Los Angeles Lakers in his 20-year career. If you're to believe Mark Cuban, though, Bryant came close to being a Dallas Maverick.

Cuban has said before that he thought he had a deal in place to acquire Bryant in 2007, but on a recent podcast appearance with Shaquille O'Neal, he released the details of the trade that fell through and what caused it.

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"Do you realize how close we were to trading for Kobe in 2007?" Cuban asked O'Neal. "I was literally this close. I talked to Jerry Buss and worked something out with Jerry because Kobe had asked to leave. Jerry said, 'Ok if you want to leave, we'll take care of it.' And so I talked to him, and it was going to be Josh Howard and Jason Terry and picks and no Dirk [Nowitzki], 'cause I said, 'Anybody but Dirk.' I remember telling this dude, 'Guess what? Kobe's going to be a Mav.' And I literally thought it was done. And then, Mitch Kupchak stepped up and said, 'We can't do this.' Talked Kobe out of it. The rest is history."

Mark Cuban reveals Kobe Bryant almost became a Dallas Maverick in 2007 😳

Could you imagine Kobe and Dirk in Dallas?

New Big Pod episode ft. Mark Cuban is live now! Watch here: https://t.co/CwteoCaglX pic.twitter.com/CTpiyplGeb

— The Big Podcast (@bigpodwithshaq) October 9, 2024

Many people forget that Kobe asked for a trade away from the Lakers in 2007. The Lakers had either missed the playoffs or lost in the first round for three straight years, and he didn't think the organization was doing enough to help him win. While the Mavericks were coming off the upset by the "We Believe" Golden State Warriors, Dirk Nowitzki had just won MVP, and they were in the NBA Finals the year before that. One could argue that the Mavericks were better positioned to win than the Lakers at that moment.

Dallas' offer wasn't terrible either, depending on the picks offered in the trade. Josh Howard had just made his first All-Star game appearance at 26 years old, and Jason Terry was a good scorer for the Mavs and would blossom into one of the league's premier sixth men over the next few seasons.

Instead, the Lakers held onto Bryant, acquired Pau Gasol and Trevor Ariza, and would play in three straight NBA Finals, winning it all in 2009 and 2010. The Mavericks struggled in the playoffs for the next few seasons before eventually sending Howard, Drew Gooden, and a few other players to the Washington Wizards for Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson, and Brendan Haywood, all crucial pieces to the 2011 championship team.

Howard was never the same player after his 2007 All-Star appearance, battling injuries before bowing out of the league in 2013. He was arguably a better player in the 2007-08 season but would never play more than 52 games in a season after that.

Having Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant on the same team, who always had mutual respect for each other, would've been must-see TV, but Dirk's first championship may not have hit the same as it did. Going through Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kobe, Pau, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James in that run is one of the best in NBA history and cemented his legacy. He may not be remembered the same if he got his first title with Kobe as a co-star.

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