Chris Paul Finally Traded

Chris Paul has finally been traded. After the Clippers called the leagues bluff about including Eric Bledsoe, they ultimately settled for Eric Gordan, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and Minnesota's unprotected 2012 first-round pick.

I like this move for both teams really. I believe the Clippers having Paul is great for the Clippers franchise. I don't see him as this guy who will turn this franchise into a 65 win season, but they should be good enough to be a 5th seed. It will be fun watching the pick and rolls that lead to ally oops to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Plus a big factor on this team is the fact that they have Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler.

For the Hornets, I love it. It gives them a ton of flexibility and gives them a lot of young talent. Eric Gordan is a budding star and Chris Kaman is a good center, but if it doesn't work out he has an expiring contract. But that 1 pick is huge for them in a great draft involving a ton of talent in the forward spot.

What's great about this is that the Lakers are the suckers in al this. No Chris Paul, No Dwight Howard and Lamar Odom. The Lakers are in for a long year and I'm predicting Kobe will demand a trade at some point.

Conspiracy Theory

With Chauncey Billups getting claimed by the Clippers (THANK GOD HE DIDN'T GO TO MIAMI) it's all coming clearer that this whole Chris Paul to Clippers deal is happening. The Clippers don't want to include PG Eric Bledsoe in the blockbuster trade that would send Eric Gordan, Chris Kaman, Weird name guy and Minnesota's 1st pick (guarenteed top 5 pick in a real strong draft) but now that the Clippers won the 2 million dollar waiver pick and a PG, Bledsoe is now expendable.

I believe David Stern rigged Billups going to the Clippers so the Paul deal will be completed today.

As for the deal, I absolutely love the deal for the Hornets, they get 3 young players and Chris Kaman who is a good big man plus a draft pick that can get you a real good player in a draft full of talent.

For the Clippers, you may get 2 years from Paul who said he will opt in his contract and then Mo Williams, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. I don't know if they will be that much better.

But who knows what is going to happen with Chris Paul, but the league holding up the deal is really fucking up a lot of teams. The held up Lakers deal directly effected the David West deal.

It Looks Like Chris Paul Is Headed To LA.... The Clippers

The trade as submitted would cost the Clippers guard Eric Gordon, Eric Bledsoe, center Chris Kaman and forward Al-Farouq Aminu. It would also include Minnesota's first-round draft pick in 2012.

I love this deal for the Hornets. You know have starters of Eric Bledsoe at the 1, Eric Gordan at the 2, Chris Kaman at 4 and Emeka Okafor at the 5. That's pretty good and figuring the Timberwolves are going to suck, that draft pick could easily turn into a Perry Jones, Terrence Jones, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for the 3 spot, the Hornets could be a real good team.

As for the Clips, I don't like this deal at all. They are giving up WAY too much, there is no reason to give up your back court with budding all stars and a really good center. You have Mo Williams, Blake Griffen and DeAndre Jordan. They don't have a lot of shooters. Sure Chris Paul has "star power" but are the Clippers any better? I don't believe so. I wonder if Paul is giving them any promises about a long term deal, because if he doesn't this would be an epic fail in Clipperland.

Either way if I were the Lakers, I would be super pissed. But it's probably better off that they didn't make the deal either.

Jesus Reacts To Chris Paul Trade Debacle

I was hoping my return to covering the NBA would be a more positive note. With the beginnings of my Season Preview taking shape as the whirlwind of Free Agency post-lockout starts taking shape, I was floored by the news of Chris Paul landing in LA. I began texting NBA fan friends immediately, only a few hours later to be hit with a 2nd bomb...TRADE VETOED.

I won't break it down for you here, because you can find the details else where. But I will share my opinion of the current state of the NBA - a league that I love more than any other.

This action by Stern, courtesy of a group of whiny owners, is absolutely appalling. I can't remember a move by any league commissioner being such an immediate PR disaster. I have been a staunch defender of Stern for years, believing that he made countless good moves even when others disagreed with those actions. (Dress code being one.) However, the last few years my defense of him has suffered some serious blows, and now I don't see any way I can continue to defend him. His time is up. He needs to hand in his resignation.

The bottom line is that owners like Dan Gilbert who bought teams in small-markets at a premium price - and either failed to realize that they weren't necessarily what they thought they were, or were delusional enough to believe they were on a level playing field - are not making the kind of profits they imagined at time of purchase. Rather than build an attractive franchise for free-agents and fans alike, they'd rather bitch and complain about how things aren't fair. Well you know what? NYC/LA/CHI/BOS and other big cities are always going to be more attractive than fucking Cleveland or Minneapolis or Salt Lake City! Period. Deal with it. Cuban has turned Dallas into a premium franchise and a place players want to play. Dallas. As in Dallas, TX! Have you ever been to Dallas? Big city in the middle of nowhere and everyone drives a pickup truck with 32 inch tires and wears cowboy hats? Yea...that Dallas. If you catch a break or two like San Antonio or Oklahoma City and do your due diligence in scouting and draft a Tim Duncan or Kevin Durant you can experience tremendous success in this league - especially if you do your part in building a team that players like Duncan and Durant want to stick around and play with after their rookie contracts expire. There will be ups and downs, just as there are in the big cities too. The Knicks have been bad for a decade, before that the Bulls and Celtics were awful for a stretch. Hell, even the Lakers with Kobe stunk for a bit when Shaq first left town.

So why the fuck should Dan Gilbert expect anything different of his franchise? Oh boo hoo Chris Paul, a premier player was unhappy with his lot and did his best to force his way to a better situation, and that situation happened to be in LA with the Lakers. He should be forced to stay in a small market if that's where he starts. Life's not fair!! Mr. Stern...help me out!

You know what? Fuck you, Dan Gilbert. So Lebron left you in a lurch and you need to rebuild. Well, it might help if you didn't send out scathing public messages about how Lebron betrayed you and comparing him to Judas or whatever. Last time I checked, this was The United States of Fucking America and if someone isn't happy they can basically pursue their happiness to the best of their ability as long as that pursuit doesn't infringe on the rights of others. I think Will Smith even made a movie about it.

You just had the #1 draft pick in the league and have some young talent. Start there. And yes, I realize I'm focusing on Gilbert when there were others involved, but he seems to kinda be the face of this faction of owners. In a leaked email he suggested that 25 of the league's teams change their name to the Washington Generals. What he doesn't realize is that his team and other struggling franchises are not getting walked all over because they're the Generals. It's because they aren't being run well. Portland is successful. Oklahoma City is successful. Orlando is successful. Not too long ago Cleveland was among the MOST successful for 7 years!! Enjoy it! Then try and build it again. Such is the nature of the business and life.

The big cities will always be the big cities. Players will always want to play there. Occasionally, a small market team will break through, and occasionally the big market teams will be down. It is what it is (to borrow an old cliche) and Dan Gilbert or any other owner shouldn't expect it to be any different. And David Stern shouldn't give in to their whining and crybabying. It's not a good look.

The Deal That Never Happened

In a deal that would have sent Paul to the Lakers, Pau Gasol to the Rockets and furnished New Orleans with three top-flight NBA players in Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and Lamar Odom as well as playoff-tested guard Goran Dragic and a 2012 first-round pick that Houston had acquired from the Knicks.

But then the league turned around and stopped the deal because the NBA owners didn't like that a team owned by the NBA is trading Paul to a big market team.

Many people thought that after this happened the Lakers were going to turn around an get Dwight Howard. So I'm kind of torn with all of this. On one hand I'm stoked the Lakers don't have Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, on the other I really like the fact the Hornets got 3 almost all stars in Odom, Scola and Martin (along with Dragic and a 1st pick). The owners and David Stern may have stepped over the line a little much.

With Dwight Howard most likely getting traded to the Nets today, I kind of hope the league puts it through. If they did after Howard left then the Lakers would be stuck with Bynum's gimpy knees and only one power forward in Derrick Caracter. Also, I I hate Chris Paul so him is Yellow and Purple would be fitting. They would be a worst team than they had before they got Paul. That would make me giggle. Also, if it doesn't go through, there is no way Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom are going to be happy to go back. So it looks like the Celtics aren't going to be the only team with an awkward 1st day of training camp.

Another factor could be that they didn't want to give the poor people in New Orleans another Kardashian. They have already gone through enough.

So What Exactly Is Ainge Thinking?

DP went over it earlier. There are crazy Rondo trades flying all over the place. I believe there is only one deal the Celtics would do and that Paul being the new PG for the Celtics. All the other stuff I think is nonsense.

I love Rondo, I really do. He does piss me off a bunch with his whole not hitting free throws thing, but there isn't another player like him in the league. Not saying he is better then Paul, because I don't think he is (although I do worry about Paul's injuries) but he bring a different dynamic you don't get with a lot of PGs (Speed, defense, maybe best passer in the league).

So I have been trying to think exactly what Ainge might be thinking. Here is what I came up with. Yes, it's a pipe dream, but so was getting KG a couple years ago.

The Celtics trade Rondo (maybe Green) and get Paul. They go through this season with a core of KG, Paul, Pierce, and Allen. After the season is over the Celtics can offer Paul more then any other team because they will have his rights. He signs, and the Celtics still have the cap room to bring in another max player (Howard). After getting Howard the Celtics convince KG and/or Allen to comeback on short money with the idea that they will be primed for a Championship run with a core of Howard, Paul, Pierce, KG, Allen.

Is that scenario that crazy to play out?

I guess the other thing is that Ainge just doesn't see Rondo as a guy who can lead this team and just wants to make a run this year, and then clear the book completely starting next season.

Rondo Rumors Really Scaring Me

The Celtics have reportedly changed their stance on whether they'd require a long-term commitment before trading for Paul. It was believed to be a requisite to a deal getting done when SI.com first reported their interest in Paul. Sources said their offer includes point guard Rajon Rondo, a 2012 top-10 protected first-round pick from the Clippers, second-year guard Avery Bradley and rookie guard E'Twaun Moore. Another source said restricted free agent Jeff Green would likely be part of that deal as well. SI.com

ESPN.com reported Monday that in addition to the Warriors and Clippers -- New Orleans' preferred trade partners -- at least three teams have told the Hornets that they're willing to trade for Paul without any assurance that he'll extend his contract or re-sign next summer. They are the Celtics, Rockets and Dallas Mavericks, with Boston widely considered to be the strongest bidder in that group despite what sources describe as the Hornets' lukewarm interest to date in the primary players offered by the Celtics: All-Star guard Rajon Rondo and forward Jeff Green. ESPN

I hate Chris Paul, I hate his attitude, I hate his face and just him as a person and Rondo is my favorite player in basketball, I loved him in Kentucky, I named my guinea pig after him, etc, so if the Celtics trade my favorite player for someone I despise I don't know what I will do. Personally I believe Rondo is better than Paul, so I have a giant problem with trading him, Jeff Green, Avery Bradly AND a 1st. Even if Paul is better than Rondo, he isn't a Jeff Green, Avery Bradly and a higher pick (Clippers pick) better.

There were rumors that the Celtics offered Rondo straight up for Steph Curry (which was turned down so they can flip him to the Hornets. I don't know how to read Danny Ainge, when these rumors came up he said they loved Rondo and wanted to keep him, now this happens. If Rondo doesn't get traded, how will he handle all of this trade speculation. But if we do get Chris Paul is Danny really gambling half the team on a one year rental? Is it worth trading a top 4 point guard with a friendly contract for just 1 year? I just don't know how to feel about all of this.

Best case; Rondo doesn't get traded
Case I would have to be fine with; Paul gets traded to the Celtics and signs extension.
Worst Case; Trades for Paul, he leaves after the year is over and we rebuild everything.

Lakers Want Howard and Paul

Let me just put it out there and this comes from Chris Broussard and he's a shit throwing douche bag and this could just be him making noise to stay relevant. But he is reporting that the Lakers are willing to trade everyone on their team but Kobe Bryant for the 2 superstars.

I mean I still don't think the Lakers have the talent to trade for both, but with players like Poopface Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, there is a chance. If this happens, I will be so deflated because I have loved the fact that the Lakers are starting to be another old team on the decline.

I have been beating a dead horse with this, but there is no way Paul goes anywhere while the NBA owns the team. The league just can't do that or allow that. Also, if I were the Magic I would trade Howard before the season and not risk injury or anything.