Chris Paul to Clippers! (Also, Odom to Mavericks)

[benji]

The Hornets have started to inform teams that they're sending Chris Paul to the Lakers for Bynum and Odom, league sources tell Y! Sports.

http://twitter.com/#!/WojYahooNBA/statu ... 6302717952

Correction: The proposed deal to the Lakers is Chris Paul for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, source says.

https://twitter.com/#!/WojYahooNBA/stat ... 3947291649

Berger confirms:

Chris Paul to the Lakers is "done," league executive briefed on the deal tells @CBSSports

[Martti.]

Fuck.

[benji]

Then Gasol goes to Houston:

If rest of deal goes through as proposed, sources tell ESPN that HOU would send Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and Goran Dragic to N.O. for Gasol

[NovU]

I guess Gasol couldn't get things sorted out with Kobe's wife. There he goes, just like that.

Seriously, Paul, Kobe, Artest perimeter? Come on. That's like a video game line up. But it will be interesting to see how Bynum can fill in Gasol's place at the front.

[Martti.]

The Hornets should have taken the Celtics offer.

[Andrew]

If it's a done deal, I'd say that rules out Howard going to the Lakers. Perhaps the Magic take Bynum in return but I'm not sure about that, especially since Howard has apparently indicated that he's open to remaining in Orlando if they can make some moves to build around him.

As far as Paul to the Lakers, that gives the Lakers an amazing backcourt but leaves them without their best frontcourt player, their best player off the bench and a big man who hasn't appeared in more than 65 games since his sophomore campaign (and will miss the first five games of a shortened season due to a suspension). They're bringing in Kapono but losing Shannon Brown and World Peace (it really feels silly typing that) is on his way down. Paul's arrival is certainly intriguing but top to bottom I'm not sure they'll have the rotation to go all the way.

[benji]

It's Bynum and Walton to Orlando for Dwight and Turkoglu.

[Andrew]

Surely the Magic aren't in too great a hurry to make that move...although it does get Turkoglu's contract off the books...

[benji]

Orlando can't build a contender around Dwight, they have no assets. So they get Bynum (expiring), Walton (retiring), amnesty Arenas and ditch Turkoglu.

And then Dwight and Paul come back next summer.

[Mavs4Life]

If this happens, I'd actually be very happy, all 3 teams seem to get what they want.

[Andrew]

Seems it's basically a done deal.

[natche21]

Lebwrong can kiss his championship dreams goodbye if the lakers can also get dwight

[Jackal]

Fuck yes. (L)!

[Nick]

Awesome! I love when the best players play on the historical teams. Paul deserves multiple rings to his name at the end of his career.

Getting Paul and Dwight may leave lakers to be thin, but it's obviously a long term investment when you consider the age of Paul and Howard. If Lakers DO somehow manage to manipulate magic into giving them dwight, Lakers will remain a force even when kobe retires. Crazy.

Seriously, Paul, Kobe, Artest perimeter? Come on. That's like a video game line up.

Hey? Artest is shit now.

[Moz]

http://twitter.com/#!/CourtneyLee2211/s ... 6368203776

[Jackal]

WTF, NBA owners blocking the deal?

[jonthefon]

It's going to be done despite the owners being up in arms, but I love how the lockout so far has resolved very little of the competitive balance/shitty contracts business.

[natche21]

I wonder what would happen to the lakers if they faile get dwight, then cp3 choose to leave after this season hehe

[benji]

NBA owners have pushed commissioner David Stern to kill the deal sending Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell Y! Sports.

The NBA is now pushing New Orleans GM Dell Demps to pull the plug on the trade and keep Chris Paul, league sources tell Y! Sports

Trade with Lakers will NOT go through Friday and Chris Paul is expected in Hornets camp, according to sources

One source close to the three-team Chris Paul trade talks just told http://ESPN.com : "The deal is off."

This is crazy: Hearing the NBA (owner of New Orleans) vetoed the CP3 trade because it wasn't in the best interests in the league.

[benji]

Totally off now?

The NBA has killed the proposed deal to send Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources tell Yahoo! Sports.

[Nick]

but I love how the lockout so far has resolved very little of the competitive balance/shitty contracts business.

So true.

The powerful teams are always going to have that allure. Small teams will just have to accept it.

[[Q]]

but I love how the lockout so far has resolved very little of the competitive balance/shitty contracts business.

So true.

The powerful teams are always going to have that allure. Small teams will just have to accept it.

yeah the small market teams already wanted more "competitive balance" in the new CBA, then the Lakers show em who's boss

but then the 28 other owners counter with the fact that the NBA owns the Hornets, and pressure Stern to veto. it doesnt make much sense to have the league own a team that owners are competing with

[Jackal]

Fuckin cunts!

[Andrew]

Wow. Certainly a surprise on one hand but given that competitive balance and players leaving small markets was one of the key points of contention in the lockout, it's not altogether shocking that the league would cave to pressure from the rest of the owners and kill the deal.

How long do you think Dell Demps keeps his job?

but then the 28 other owners counter with the fact that the NBA owns the Hornets, and pressure Stern to veto. it doesnt make much sense to have the league own a team that owners are competing with

Agreed, but until they can find a new ownership group I guess it's either that or fold the team.

[benji]

Fuckin cunts!

Guess who:

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.