NBA: What if the Wizards did not trade Rip Hamilton?
The NBA’s colorful history is also filled with countless what-ifs.
In 2002, when the Washington Wizards then had the legendary Michael Jordan in their roster, the team traded youngster Richard Hamilton for the services of Jerry Stackhouse from Detroit.
It was obvious from that move that the Wizards were prioritizing putting Jordan in the center of their system, even if the Hall of Famer was already past his prime during those seasons.
Stackhouse was then an all-star level player and in his prime, but he failed to mesh with Jordan, who had a high usage rate and was often the go-to guy of the squad.
Stackhouse recently went public on an online report, stating that he wish he never played alongside Jordan because of the limited role he got.
Hamilton, on the other hand, blossomed with the Pistons, eventually winning a title in 2004 with the likes of Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, and Tayshaun Prince.
“Rip” became a 3-time all-star in his 9 years with the Pistons, before ending his career in 2013, the same year Stackhouse retired.
In another world where the Wizards didn’t trade Hamilton, they still probably would have made Jordan the main man of their roster while developing Hamilton, who played the same position as Jordan.
Eventually, since Jordan would retire, Hamilton possibly would have carried the Wizards in the following years.
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