Mark Cuban recently revealed details about the Dallas Mavericks’ near acquisition of Kobe Bryant in 2007. Cuban, who is now a part-owner of the Mavericks after selling a majority stake last year, brought up the topic during an appearance on Shaquille O'Neal's “The Big Podcast.”

Cuban told O'Neal, “Do you realize how close we were to trading for Kobe in 2007?”

O’Neal responded, “I never knew.”

Cuban elaborated on the situation, stating that the trade talks with the Los Angeles Lakers' front office had reached a serious stage. “Oh my god. It was literally like this close. I talked to Jerry Buss and worked something out with Jerry because Kobe had asked to leave,” Cuban explained. “Jerry said, ‘okay, if you want to leave, we’ll take care of it, Jeanie and everything.' So I talked to him, and it was going to be Josh Howard, Jason Terry, and picks—and no Dirk, because I said anybody but Dirk.”

Cuban believed the deal was imminent. “I literally remember telling this dude, ‘guess what? Kobe’s going to be a Mav,’ and I literally thought it was done. Then Mitch Kupchak obviously stepped up and said, ‘we can’t do this,’ talked Kobe out of it, and the rest is history.”

Kobe Bryant’s MVP run and Mavericks’ championship glory define post-trade fallout

The potential trade would have sent Kobe Bryant, one of the league’s most dynamic players, to Dallas in exchange for Howard, Terry, and draft picks. Crucially, Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks' franchise cornerstone, was excluded from the deal at Cuban’s insistence.

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Ultimately, the trade never materialized, but the outcome worked in favor of both the Lakers and the Mavericks. Bryant stayed in Los Angeles, where he won his first MVP award the following season, averaging 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. He also led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances from 2008 to 2010, winning back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010 alongside Pau Gasol.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, would have their own moment of glory. In 2011, Dallas swept the Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals during a playoff run that culminated in the franchise’s first and only NBA championship. Led by Nowitzki, the Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat's formidable trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in the Finals.

Bryant and Nowitzki: The “What If” duo that could have changed NBA History

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) reaches in for the ball as Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) keeps control during the 4th quarter of game two of the second round of the 2011 NBA playoffs at the Staples Center. The Mavericks won 93-81.
© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

While both teams found success after the trade fell through, the prospect of Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki playing together remains one of the NBA's great “what if” scenarios. The combination of Bryant's relentless scoring and Nowitzki’s shooting and versatility could have formed a historic duo, with both players in their prime. Fans can only wonder how many championships the Mavericks might have won had the trade materialized, potentially altering the course of NBA history.

The story of the almost-trade has resurfaced several times in recent years, with Mark Cuban reflecting on how close the Mavericks came to acquiring Kobe Bryant. Despite the missed opportunity, both teams found success in the years that followed, with Bryant solidifying his legacy in Los Angeles and the Mavericks capturing their long-awaited championship.