Bill Haber/Associated Press

The Boston Celtics reportedly nearly traded Paul Pierce to the New Orleans Hornets for Chris Paul on NBA draft night in 2005.

Appearing on ESPN's The Lowe Post podcast with Zach Lowe on Wednesday (h/t Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype), former Boston Globe reporter Jackie MacMullan said the following regarding the potential deal:

"If the Celtics could have done it, they would have. This is how close it was: I worked at the Boston Globe then. There were two ads to run in the morning editions of the Boston Globe. One was: 'Follow the Celtics with Paul Pierce going forward' and another was 'A new era beginning' and a picture of Chris Paul."

The Hornets instead kept CP3 after selecting him No. 4 overall in the draft out of Wake Forest.

Paul, who currently plays for the Houston Rockets, is a nine-time All-Star and is likely a future Hall of Famer.

Even so, the decision to not go forward with the deal worked out well for the Celtics, as they went on to win the NBA championship three years later with Pierce leading the way alongside Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

Like Paul, all signs point toward Pierce getting enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

CP3's six seasons with the Hornets were highlighted by four All-Star nods, but he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers prior to the 2011-12 season.

Despite his individual success, Paul has never reached the NBA Finals, unlike Pierce.

That could potentially change this season, as Paul and the Rockets are the top team in the Western Conference with a 53-14 record.

Pierce retired at the conclusion of last season after a 19-year NBA career, while the 32-year-old Paul has shown no signs of slowing down.