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"In 1996, there was no maximum salary provision in the CBA. There was a salary cap, $24.3 million to be exact, but no max salary and no luxury tax penalty (both were products of the 1998 lockout)...." Joel Corry, who once worked as a consultant for Shaquille O'Neal's agent, explained in a gripping inside story of the 1996 free-agency decision for CBS Sports. "This meant that Orlando could've thrown a blank check at Shaq...and, I believe, ended the negotiation before it started."

Corry's story is well worth reading in its entirety. But that's the linchpin—the moment of no return for the Orlando Magic.

The organization that originally drafted the future Hall of Famer lowballed him with its initial offer, leading to a complicated series of events that included the Los Angeles Lakers cutting salary and eventually outbidding the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks.

History would've unfolded rather differently in every one of these other potential landing spots, as one of the greatest centers in the NBA archives would've had superstar running mates almost across the board.

Imagine O'Neal teaming up with Grant Hill and Allan Houston in the Motor City, potentially shouldering such a workload that he could've kept the uber-talented small forward from experiencing so many crippling injuries. Think about O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning forming twin towers for the Heat while Tim Hardaway moved into his 30s.

Atlanta didn't have any true superstars, but a five-man core of O'Neal, Steve Smith, Mookie Blaylock, Christian Laettner and Stacey Augmon would've made serious noise in the Eastern Conference. Patrick Ewing, Anthony Mason, John Starks and the rest of the Knicks were moving out of their primes, but O'Neal in the Big Apple would've been a sight to behold—and surely attracted more big names to one of the world's largest media markets.

Hell, he could've stayed in Orlando and continued building chemistry with Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway. The Magic had already advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1996, and they might've been able to impede the Chicago Bulls' path if they continued developing in concert.

Plus, we can't overlook what the Lakers might've lost. Would Kobe Bryant have turned into a legendary figure without his primary early-career running mate? Would Phil Jackson's reputation have been lessened without one more three-peat? Would Los Angeles have peeled away a different superstar to pair with Bryant?