The ones that got away: The biggest almost-trades in NBA history

With the exception of his one final season with the Toronto Raptors – which, collectively, we have implicitly all agreed to forget – Hakeem Olajuwon spent his entire NBA career with the Houston Rockets. Almost halfway through that, though, it nearly ended prematurely, at his request.

Back in March 1992, in the era before social media and the far better control of information that it now requires, Olajuwon was entirely blatant with a trade request:

Olajuwon, who has played his entire career at the University of Houston and for the Rockets, said too much has been said in the controversy over his injured left hamstring.

“I’m not coming back for them (management),” Olajuwon said Monday. “It’s for my teammates and the fans, but I would not like to play for the Rockets next season. It’s so obvious after all that’s happened.

“Would you like to work for a management like that, that say all these things? It’s better for everybody to pack at the end of the season.”

Steve Patterson, Rocket general manager, declined comment.

Olajuwon was suspended by the Rockets on March 23 when he refused to play after being cleared by a team physician.

The Rockets believe Olajuwon is faking the injury as a negotiation ploy. Olajuwon has repeatedly denied the allegation and has filed a grievance with the NBA Players Association.

In an era of long contracts and no rookie salary scale, Olajuwon felt he was underpaid for his services, was not winning anything, and was unhappy with the whole arrangement. A player being openly so disgruntled and unprofessional is, usually, a turn-off on the market. But when they are good enough, there will be a market anyway. And the Miami Heat were as interested in The Dream as anyone.

Purportedly, a trade package of Rony Seikaly, Glen Rice and Steve Smith was sought from the Heat in exchange for Olajuwon and Sleepy Floyd, something the Heat would deny, citing the trio as being their “nucleus“. This denial came after several months of smoke, which of course came from a fire at some point, and similar smoke was said to be emanating from the Indiana Pacers (based around Rik Smits) and the Seattle SuperSonics (surrounding Derrick McKey and Nate McMillan).

Another billowing cloud of smoke came from the Los Angeles area, where both parties were interested. The Lakers, reportedly, dangled a package of AC Green, Byron Scott and James Worthy for The Dream, while additionally, it was widely understood that the Clippers were very interested in putting together a package.

The sticking point? It seems hard to believe, but, apparently, it was Stanley Roberts.

Roberts, who has the power to veto any trade, already has said he does not want to play for the Clippers. However, if his opinion can be swayed during his stay in LA, the Rockets could be knocked out of the running for Roberts. He then would be included in a deal sending Charles Smith from LA to New York with Doc Rivers. The Clippers also would get Mark Jackson.

That trade would put the Rockets back to square one in trying to trade Olajuwon.

The Rockets hope to avoid starting from scratch again. But Roberts holds the key. If he decides he does not want to play in LA, he could open the door to trade Olajuwon. Even then, though, it will not be easy.

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The deal would send Olajuwon to the Clippers and Sleepy Floyd to the Clippers or Knicks. Houston would receive Danny Manning and Loy Vaught from the Clippers, Roberts from Orlando and Gerald Wilkins from the Knicks, if he can be signed before the trade.

The Clippers would receive Olajuwon along with Jackson and Charles Oakley from the Knicks while giving up Manning and Vaught to Houston and Smith and Rivers to New York.

Notwithstanding the promise he was once unanimously thought to have, Roberts played only 300 career regular season games, and averaged only 8.5 points and 5.2 rebounds a contest within them. His career ended prematurely and ignominiously; after injury-riddled years and a suspension for insubordination, Roberts is perhaps best remembered for being expelled from the league for drug use, and although he was reinstated in 2003, he never made a comeback. Olajuwon and the Rockets patched things up, famously with the aid of a very long plane flight to Japan, and went on to win two NBA championships in the next three years.

The whole affair, though, did see this immortal line make it to print:

One source in LA said the Clippers would rather have a 22-year-old Roberts than Olajuwon, who will be 30 this season.