The biggest 'what if' moment for every NBA franchise

The Hawks drafted Dončić in 2018 but immediately traded him for Trae Young and a future first-round pick. Young has been great in Atlanta and has become one of the league's best scorers and facilitators. He's not on Dončić's level, though (few are), and maybe Luka could have drawn more free agent interest in Atlanta and reshaped the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics thought they had the star to lead their post-Larry Bird era when drafting Len Bias in 1986. Just two days after the draft, though, he died due to a drug-related incident. This was the start of a string of bad luck, as just years later, Boston also lost Reggie Lewis, another rising star.

In Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals, Durant hit a shot that would have been a game-winning three-pointer had his foot not barely been on the line. It was a two, though, and the Bucks won in overtime. Had the Nets moved on, they could very well have won the Finals, and maybe Kyrie Irving and James Harden would have stuck around, changing what the conference would have looked like for the next few years.

Before the draft, the Hornets committed to picking Kobe and sending him to the Lakers. Had they kept him, though, things would have looked a lot different. With a generational star leading the way, the team could have been lifted out of its perpetual mediocrity and reshaped the franchise's legacy.

When MJ left the league for the first time, his Bulls had just won three straight titles. After he returned, they won three more in a row. Had he stuck around, his Bulls would have been a real threat to win the '94 and '95 championships, too, potentially giving Chicago eight straight titles and putting them up there with the 1960s Celtics as having the most dominant NBA run ever.

After winning a title and reaching three straight Finals, Irving wanted out of Cleveland. Had he stuck around, though, maybe LeBron doesn't leave for Los Angeles and spends the rest of his career playing for his home team. There are also ripple effects for the two teams Irving joined shortly after Cleveland, the Celtics and the Nets.

Nash was reluctant to leave the Mavericks in 2004, but he received a significantly better offer to sign with Phoenix. Had he stuck around, though, we could have had years of Nash and Dirk Nowitzki together in their primes. Maybe they could have gotten over the hump, and Nash could have retired with at least a championship to his name (and Dirk with more than just the 2011 trophy).

The Nuggets have been hot throughout the 2020s, but there was an interruption when Murray went down with an ACL injury in April 2021. Denver claimed a title in 2023, but they could have been serious contenders for more. With more championships, the conversation around Nikola Jokić's legacy would certainly have more wrinkles.

Milicic is infamous as one of the biggest draft busts of all time, a status that is amplified because other top picks in that draft included Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. The Pistons were already great at this point, having won a championship in Darko's rookie season, with the rookie contributing little. Had the Pistons landed one of the aforementioned greats, though, perhaps their championship window would have been significantly extended.

When the Warriors were trying to land Andrew Bogut in 2012, they nearly included Curry in the trade, since his ankle issues were a concern at the time. Ultimately, though, the team included Monta Ellis in the deal instead of Curry. Obviously, the entire league would look radically different if the greatest shooter ever played for the Bucks and the modern Golden State dynasty never happened.

T-Mac and Yao were an imposing duo during the 2000s. Unfortunately, though, both dealt with regular injury issues, to the point that they never played together consistently. Had they been able though, they could have been a contender in a league otherwise dominated by the Spurs and Lakers.

The brawl at Auburn Hills overshadows the fact that, at the time, the Pacers were one of the league's best teams, starting the season at 6-2, going into that game. But the incident led to suspensions for key players, most notably Ron Artest, an excellent defender who was averaging over 20 points a game. The Pacers could have been title contenders, but instead, they ended up with a record around .500.

After the audio of Sterling, the owner of the Clippers, making racist comments was made public, he was forced to sell the team. Steve Ballmer came in and took charge, transforming the Clippers' fortunes. While Ballmer was stingy with his spending, he wasn't afraid to take big swings in the name of bringing star power and increased success to the Clippers.

The Lakers were prepared to acquire Chris Paul in 2011, but the league, which controlled the Hornets at the time, vetoed the move. Had Paul been able to join Kobe Bryant in LA, the team's championship window would have likely been extended. Instead, Paul went to the Clippers and bounced around with other teams in pursuit of a championship.

Memphis had a lot of faith in Thabeet, enough to grab him with the second pick in the 2009 draft. He didn't live up to expectations, though, underwhelming before being out of the NBA in five years. Stars who went after Hasheem in that draft included James Harden, Stephen Curry, and DeMar DeRozan.

Bosh was the third option during the LeBron and Wade era in Miami, but after LeBron left and as he entered his early 30s, he was still capable of leading a team. But the discovery of blood clots forced him to end his career prematurely. Miami then floundered for a while and ended up landing Jimmy Butler, but who knows if that would have happened with Bosh still around.

Parker was the No. 2 pick in 2014, but unfortunately, injuries kept him from reaching his potential. In the 2017 season, he and Giannis Antetokounmpo were shaping up to be quite the pair, both in their early 20s and averaging over 20 a night. Had Parker been able to stay on the court, perhaps he and Giannis could have been one of the best duos of the era.

In the 2009 draft, the Timberwolves wanted a point guard. Luckily, they ended up with both the fifth and sixth picks. They got Ricky Rubio at No. 5, and he went on to have a long and productive career, while Jonny Flynn, their No. 6 pick, was out of the league in a few years. Chosen by the Warriors at No. 7 was a kid named Stephen Curry.

Cousins and Anthony Davis were looking like an imposing double-big duo in 2018, when they both averaged over 25 points and 11 rebounds a night. Cousins, though, went down with an Achilles injury, and his time playing with Davis was short-lived. They also had Jrue Holiday, and those three could have formed a tough-to-beat core.

There have been reports that in 1996, MJ was close to leaving the Bulls and joining Patrick Ewing with the Knicks. This would have changed the landscape of the NBA in the '90s and perhaps beyond. Maybe Ewing wins a championship and enjoys a stronger legacy. Maybe Jordan plays for longer instead of retiring in his mid-30s.

Harden and OKC couldn't agree on a contract extension, so in 2012, he was traded to the Rockets. This broke up the star trio of him, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook. The young Big Three were already title contenders, so who knows how many championships they could have racked up had they stayed together in their primes.

After the Shaq and Penny Hardaway era ended in Orlando, there was potential for McGrady and Hill to lead the way into the future. Hill, though, just couldn't stay healthy, so it was mostly McGrady taking charge on his own. Who knows how successful McGrady and Hill could have been as a duo, perhaps one of the best of the era?

For the 2017 draft, the 76ers traded to get the Celtics' No. 1 pick and used it on Markelle Fultz. They passed on Jayson Tatum, who became one of the league's biggest stars, to do so, while Fultz is one of the bigger busts in recent memory. It actually ended up alright for Philly, though: The Sixers traded Fultz to the Magic for a future draft pick, which turned out to be Tyrese Maxey.

The No. 1 pick in the '69 draft was determined by a coin flip between the Bucks and Suns. The prize of the draft was UCLA star Lew Alcindor, and the honor of taking him went to the Bucks, who won the flip. The player later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, of course, went on to be one of the best to ever lace 'em up.

Oden had unbelievable potential, it was believed, enough for Portland to use their No. 1 pick on him in 2007. Tragically, injuries derailed his career, and he was only a fraction of the player people thought he could be. Meanwhile, that draft's second pick, Kevin Durant, is one of the best players ever, and he in Portland would have changed the look of the NBA.

The Kings were one of the league's hottest teams in 2002, and they made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. That series against the Lakers, though, was drenched in controversy, with the officiating seemingly favoring LA. Had Sacramento made the Finals and secured a championship, though, perhaps they could have been a long-term contender and avoided years of mediocrity that followed.

The Spurs only had the third-best odds to win the draft lottery in 1997, but they came out ahead anyway and picked Tim Duncan. TD of course made the Spurs one of the most consistently great teams of the 2000s. Had the Spurs fell to third in that draft, though, perhaps they end up with a star like Chauncey Billups or Tracy McGrady, or they make a pick that doesn't work out.

Kawhi spent only one year in Toronto, but what a year it was. There was that iconic game- and series-winning shot against the 76ers, then they went on to win a championship. Still, Leonard wanted out, but maybe Toronto would become a new franchise if he weren't so intent on going to California.

The Jazz were one of the most dominant teams of the '90s. Unfortunately, they faced Michael Jordan's Bulls in the Finals in back-to-back seasons, in '97 and '98. Had Jordan stuck to his baseball career, though, maybe Utah secures a title, or even two, and forever bolsters John Stockton and Karl Malone's legacies.

Both Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson were on the Wizards' radar ahead of the 2011 draft. With the No. 6 pick, though, they went with Jan Veselý. Veselý played in the league for three uneventful seasons before being released by the NBA. Klay and Kawhi, meanwhile, are two of the more impactful players of their generation.