Thursday, December 8th, 2011 at 9:14 pm  |  160 responses

Chris Paul-to-Lakers Trade Hits Snag, Won’t Go Through


Earlier today, the Internet exploded when news broke that the Hornets were trading Chris Paul to the Lakers in a three-team trade that’d also move Lamar Odom, Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and Goran Dragic to New Orleans and Pau Gasol to Houston. Well, looks like the deal has hit a bit of a snag. Here’s Yahoo!‘s latest report: “NBA commissioner David Stern has killed the New Orleans Hornets’ trade of Chris Paul after several owners complained about the league-owned team dealing the All-Star point guard to the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Some owners pushed Stern to demand that trade be nullified, and the Hornets be made to keep Paul on the roster for the foreseeable future, sources said. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was one of the most vocal in a chorus of owners irate with the belief that the five-month lockout had happened largely to stop big-market teams from leveraging small-market teams for star players pending free agency. All the players involved in the trade have been told to report to their teams for the start of training camp on Friday. Before Stern intervened, the Lakers had reached an agreement to acquire Paul in a three-team trade that would have cost them Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Under terms of the deal, the Lakers would have sent Gasol to the Rockets. The Hornets would have received Odom, Rockets guards Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic and forward Luis Scola, league sources said.”

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  • golakeshow

    Stern is a dickhead who should be fired and have his home taken away

  • JoeMaMa

    The biggest winner from the proposed deal with New Orleans. Then LA, and Houston. NO got 3 high quality players for 1 superstar that they couldn’t have kept anyway. LA gave up alot, and got alot back. Houston got one of the best bigs in the league. Really, all 3 teams could’ve conceivably ‘won’ on this deal. The fact that David Stern wilted to angry owners is bad. But what’s worse is that he nixed this trade because he didn’t like that Chris Paul was ‘determining’ his course of events. He’s a bumbling, fumbling, Deus Ex Machina. He decided to prove a point at the expense of 3 teams, and the competitive balance of the league. Pitiful.

  • Heals

    Yeah Dub I see D12 or CP3 signing there for the mid-level while the other gets the vets minimum…

  • S-Mills

    @JTaylor21 Yes the NBA has the right to veto the trade the question is if it’s really ethical. For them to favor the well being of the league over the well being of the New Orleans Hornets is an abuse of their rights as owners of the team. New Orleans fans should be in an uproar if we take this to mean CP3 signs elsewhere when his contract is up and leaves the Hornets with nothing to show next season, when they could be getting gasol and odom today.

  • S-Mills

    And yeah it just hit me hard. Why in the name of all things basketball does Mark Cuban’s opinion have an effect on a trade between the hornets, lakers and rockets? That is absolute trash David Stern, absolute trash.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    I never said I agreed with their decision (It’s shady and sets a bad precedent) but what can CP and a band of lawyers really do? The League is basically the equivalent of what Mickey Arison is to the Heat or what Buss is to the Lakers, a owner. Those guys can nix or veto any deal if they want, so the L has every right to do the same even though it’s in bad taste.

  • stevie jenkins

    This is some motherf*ucking bull*hit right here. Unbelieveable.

  • shutup

    Anyone saying that LA wouldnt of benefited the most from this deal is full of bs, Paul is the only guaranteed allstar in the bunch, its obvious that something fishy happened behind the scenes that were not privy too thats why Stern stopped this bs

  • bobbyD

    How much does Paul stand to lose dollar wise if he walks as a free agent next year? Seems like he can’t be traded this season after this debacle. So is Stern trying to shaft Paul out of dollars whilst trying to keep him on board to increase the value of the Hornets?

  • Maniac

    Just to clear things up… The owners didn’t veto, they can’t. They strongly urged Stern to stop the trade so he did. If Stern ignored them, CP3 would be a Laker, but I guess he doesn’t want to “disturb the peace”.

  • Maniac

    ^shutup please

  • hiphopcop

    Probably Stern got wind of the D. Howard trade coming next and said HECK NO!!!!!!!!!

  • http://www.fiba.com Darksaber

    Yeah, Gasol sure played like a scrub all through last season when he was arguably the best Laker player most of it (Mavs series being the exception) and in the Euros this summer.
    Noooo chance at still being an allstar. (now that’s some uninformed BS right there)

  • Dx

    Haha… Whats the point if free agency then? When the mba can stop trades? Doesnt make sense… So how do u determine which trades are fair and which trades are unfair? Looks like the hornets are losing out…

  • golakeshow

    I am just so angry. If that fatass commisioner shows his face in LA, New Orleans, or houston he’s in trouble. All the players will be bitter about this whole thing. He just screwed all the players. I just wanna rip stern’s face off, shove it between two slices of bread, crap on it, and throw it into the garbage where it belongs. And since when does what mark cuban think matter in this scenario. The Nhl is a better run league than this and they have four conferences.

  • bnets

    “Nets have emerged as No. 1 choice for Dwight Howard, multiple sources say. D12 is expected to ask Magic to trade him to NJ.”

  • O
  • bnets
  • Bug

    Just here to show my support for Dell Demps.

  • shutup

    @darksaber your obv a laker fan who is butt hurt by this, but im glad stern dropped the hammer on this bs trade, like dan gilbert said how can you get the best player and free up 40mil? they tried to pull some bs right there. and there is no one else that consider Gasol the best Laker at any point. but nice try

  • O

    Dwight just informed the Magic he wants to be traded to… the BROOKLYN NETS!!!! NY let’s GO!!!!

  • O

    Part of me feels that MAYBE Dwight DID want to go to the Knicks, but once he saw they signed Chandler he decided to go with the Nets. Just a theory though…

  • Sergio

    I didn’t want this too happen as much as anyone. But the league stepping in, in the fashion they did, with the explanation they did is complete and utter shady bullsh*t.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    ^ that was me.

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    Co-sign Joe… The thing is, Paul didn’t even say he wanted to be in LA. He chose New York. All he did was make it clear that he didn’t want to play for New Orleans. What is New Orleans supposed to do, then? Lose him for nothing at the end of the summer so the NBA can prove a point–while really not proving a point, because *their* team suffers?
    What a stupid, rash, irrational decision on all fronts. Darth Stern is such a bag of douche right now.

  • Yesse

    OTB has a great point!

  • http://www.fiba.com Darksaber

    *sigh* Wouldn’t expect some cat whose bball related memory doesn’t even reach back a year but comes in here to insult commenters to know anything about which players or team i support.
    Especially if this is the same fool whose handle used to be another insult to another commenter, Allenp.
    No matter what YOU think you know, your earlier comment was so off, i’m not surprised u tried to hide behind more insults to try and save face. Let me, a Laker disliker if there ever was one, refresh your limited memory.
    Fact: Gasol was playing like the teams MVP during the Lakers last title win during the entire playoffs. Game winners, holding his own against the Celtics frontcourt, you name it, he had it. A few knowledgeable people here even noted they felt he deserved Finals mvp over KB. And during the 1st half of the ’10/11 regular season, when, reports were rampant about the Lakers playing much better ball with the offense going through him instead of ballhog-self nicknamer (who was out for a bit, or hobbled for the rest of it), u must have been engrossed in some video game or other.
    And he’s been an allstar ever since he joined LA and even before that as a Grizzly. But by all means, attack me for pointing out your mistakes in your earlier statement (a transparent tactic if i ever saw one), since i guess u are THE ONLY PERSON on a bball website who knows a thing or two about the NBA.
    FYI: u just got plastered twice by someone who detests Kobe, the Lakers etc but still can acknowledge facts. Pau is one of the best players on the planet, to claim otherwise just shows ignorance. CP3 is NOT the only perennial allstar in the proposed trade.
    Feel free to fling your insults and name calling anyway, done ‘reasoning’ with you, got a practice to prepare.

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    @ shutup: The Hornets were willing to make the trade. Preventing the Hornets from making a trade that would benefit them in the long run, just because if pisses you off that the Lakers benefit too, makes no sense whatsoever. Think about it. Should the Lakers make trades that only benefit the other team, then? I guess so, according to you. Why not trade the entire Lakers roster for the New Orleans roster? I mean, that would please you, wouldn’t it?

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    The Lakers benefit but they also risk a lot with this trade. They give up two of their best bigs, and aren’t even guaranteed that Chris Paul will re-sign in the summer. So they risk losing pretty much everything.

  • EMF

    I see ignorance in thinking Pau Gasol is one of the best big men in the game of basketball. If he has demonstrated anything clearly it is that he is weak, pushed around and ridiculed by other players, and most nights simply mails in his effort. I will give him one thing, I’ve never seen a player with better stats night in and night out who is so ineffectual in clutch moments, a closer he is not and apparently never will be! Now Lamar is a different story, there is a guy who plays great and then plays like he is on Mars, however I think marriage has been good for him, this past year and a half he has shown some good consistency. Gasol and Peace for Chris Paul would have been a gift from above! But child please, if Gasol has any trade value with that contract of his, the Lakers need to dump him. Listen to him, he has no clue how weak he plays and how lazy he is. I say, bring back Kareem to coach Gasol, the dude needs a few big-man camps under his belt before I will want him back!

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Not worth entertaining that dood fellas.

  • shutup

    Long ass reply to cover your bias, he was an allstar once before joining the lakers but the other vote ins were directly related to him being a laker, despite other pf who were more deserving. Millsap, Aldridge, West, behind duncan and Dirk. your right. and his allstar appearances have come to an end if hes traded out of LA. As for finals mvp, i doubt anyone with any idea of what the nba would ever say that. and isnt the act of complaining that a team is being cheated a form of support so by defacto you are a Laker supporter.

  • shutup

    not saying the lakers shouldnt benefit, but the deal was very onesided leaving LA with more positives than negatives, not saying they shouldnt seek the best possible deal but the league has to approve it, and just because the GM oks something usually GM’s gotta ok it also the NBA are the owners of the team and as a collective they didnt think it was a fair deal. when the Hornets become a privately owned team again I doubt the commissioner will interfere, despite what other team owners have to say.
    @nbk i said a prayer for you ;)

  • Justin

    Yes, the NHL is a better run league than this. But that’s because they have a hard cap and not stupid things like a mid level exception, a Larry Bird exception, and all of this other ridiculous things the players have to make a ton of money and give them monster egos. To answer your question bobbyd, I believe Paul stands to lose $30M if he walks via free agency. That reason alone could be enough for him to lawyer up and try to force this deal through. I’ve been on the owners side the entire time and don’t want to see 80% of the games end up in blowouts because of the way these idiot players think but this is not going to end well for Stern and the NBA. What teams can you trade him to that are good “basketball reasons”? You better believe Jerry Buss will be watching that situation very closely if he doesn’t end up with Paul in the end

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Who watches the NHL?

  • shutup

    This is just an anomaly because the league owns the Hornets, if it was a private entity this would not have happen, ex. look at LA’s last deal with Memphis which was very lopsided and shady (im looking at you Jerry West) despite what people say about Marc Gasol he was an unknown quantity and Pau as it has been clearley pointed out previously was an allstar and ROY, and they got him for next to nothing

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.l.brewer3 BlackPhantom

    NHL????

  • http://nba.com GP23

    I did say this trade would NOT happen earlier in the previous post. Smh…..

  • neaorin

    Dan Gilbert is right – LA getting Paul is one thing but they also save a TON of money AND give up no draft picks or young prospects. Instead they give up two players on the wrong side of 30 making mucho dinero. At least when they got Pau from the Grizzlies, they took on Kwame’s salary and gave up Marc Gasol.

  • BBaller

    I really think this proposed trade was good for all 3 teams, Houston gets a bigman, K.Martin and Scola are no scrubs so NO gets a decent return and LA give up 2 solid players. Seemed pretty decent and fair, why is Cuban the most vocal? He’s been spending way over the cap for years.CP3 to L.A doesn’t guarantee anything.If Miami can do why can’t other teams do it?

  • BBaller

    No I’m certainly not a Lakers fan.

  • anthony y

    The fact is the second cp3 is traded to another team the lakers are gonna sue the league too fast. There was no reason to stop the trade other than the fact that its the lakers. I’m a Celtic till I die, but he has no good reason (stern) to kill this trade. La gave up there front court to get him, and no was getting the best deal they were gonna see all season most likely. Its a shame stern can allow himself to be so hell-bent on dictating to players where their going to play that he is willing to throw the “competitive balance” rational to the wind.

  • http://slamonline.com jumpman22

    I’m huge Jordan fan, that leads naturally and logically to a Kobe hater. But I feel really sorry for Kobe this time. He is the guy hurt most here, this might be the last chance for him to get a shot for the title. It’s just a game for owners and NBA, maybe not even us, but it’s the players who is losing. Sad.

  • http://dskflf.com Jukai

    LOL at the NHL comment. Embarrassing.

  • 1vey2ink

    don’t hate on the fact the lakers manage to set up a great deal, be smart what you have. Trade away older players who cost a lot of money to return one player that will save you money. how can you hate on they didn’t give up draft picks? Is that illegal this days? don’t think so.. your trying to say they don’t give up as much as they did with Pau trade with grizzlies. Giving up Pau and Lamar isn’t enough value?? That arguably the best PF in the NBA and the Sixth Man Award Winner! The lakers were smart and getting younger is definitely the plan for lakers. I’ll say as soon the hornets are sold to a real owner (not stern who only cares about bussiness and not about basketball, he killed the deal because he can’t sell hornets without Paul on the team) make the deal happen! They agreed on it make it happen when stern has no right to call veto on it!

  • AiRsMiTh

    LOLOLOLOLOLOL THIS IS ALL SO RIDICULOUS

  • http://www.fiba.com Darksaber

    @nbk: i see what you mean. Apart from insulting, the peabrain also has next to no reading comprehension. Waste of my time.
    Signed, the defacto Laker supporter (who btw wrote nothing on anyone getting cheated here cause i dont care for all 3 teams much. But hey, deflection and lying is also a way to argue. If you’re on tge playground)

  • Michelle

    GASOL AND ODOM FOR CHRIS PAUL is not really that great for the Lakers. Who the hell are they going to play next to Bynum and what happens if Bynum gets injured again? They would be screwed!

  • gubbins

    This is ridiculous. Another reason we had a 5 month lockout was because the owners have far too much power over the players. If everyone is happy with the trade why should a bunch of other owners with their arses in their hands put the brakes on it. If I was a Hornets fan I’d be happier with Scola, Odom & Martin rather than wait & potentially get nothing. At which point will the owners & Lord Stern deem it ok to trade Paul if he has no intention of re-signing in NOLA??

    Clowns.

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    That’s exactly right, Justin. The NHL is better run because it generates far less interest and revenue than the NBA, and of course, because it pays its players less. That’s definitely the standard for a well-run business–how little it can pay its employees. I mean, it’s not like the two are related. Nope, it’s the rules. Just the rules–’cause it’s such a well run league, right?
    Tell me you were being sarcastic. Please.

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