You read that right last night...& it wasn't an Onion headline.
Chris Paul, arguably the best point guard in the NBA will be heading to Los Angeles...as a Clipper.
It was a mind numbing road to get to this point, but what started as NBA Commisioner David Stern's ego vetoing a trade sending Paul to the Lakers has become a fair trade on both sides. This will cover the good, bad, and ugly aspects of this move.
Now what one views as good and bad about this trade is mainly subject to your loyalties (especially if you're a Lakers fan) but we can all agree that everyone benefitted. Lets begin!
New Orleans Hornets
THE GOOD:
The main benefit for the Hornets is that in whatever trade they woul've pulled off there was something in return for Paul rather than watching him leave for nothing. Another benefit is the team avoids any type of in-season drama revolving possible Paul trades ala the Denver Nuggets and Carmelo Anthony last season.
The Clipper deal gives the Hornets the best prospect when thinking long-term. Guard Eric Gordon (who found out about the trade in an ackward fashion) has the potential to be a 25 point-per-game player and is only in his third year in the league. Center Chris Kaman (or rather his expiring contract) will help the team in the 5 spot. Forward Al-Farouq Aminu can fill a void left behind by David West's departure. Most notably the first round pick the Hornets get from the Clippers (via the Minnesotta Timberwolves) is unprotected in what some think is the best NBA draft class since 2003 coming up.
THE BAD:
Now here is the part where Lakers fans start yelling and play Devil's advocate. While the Clipper trade set up the Hornets long-term, the Laker trade would've kept them a playoff teal in the short-term.
The proposed Lakers trade would've sent forward Lamar Odom, forward/center Luis Scola, and guard Kevin Martin anlong with draft picks for Paul. That lineup could get you to the postseason, particularly after a shortened season. That would fill seats and would look good to potential buyers of the team. Unfortunately the team's age and contract would probably cancel that out.
THE UGLY:
The way the NBA and particularly Stern have handled this entire situation was just dumb.
The league made Hornets GM Dell Demps look like a fool in front of his peers when they vetoed the Laker trade. They then tried trying to explain their decision and looked even dumber as they tried. The ugliest part of this fiasco is that it only added to the tensions between owners and players that formed during the lockout.
Los Angeles Clippers
THE GOOD:
This move by the Clippers has done something that has never been done in its' 30-plus year history and especially after moving to LA from San Diego in 1985.
The Clippers can honestly say that they're on equal footing with the more pedigreed Lakers...and it's believeable!
The Clippers now have Paul, forward (& human dunk machine) Blake Griffin, a young center in DeAndre Jordan, veteran forward Caron Butler, and (maybe?) guard Chauncey Billups in their starting lineup. That's a potent lineup. Of those guys Paul and Griffin are the biggest draws for the Clippers. The buzz around Paul is so powerful that Clipper season tickets have sold out for the first time in franchise history.
The best thing for the Clippers is that they are, for at least the next two years, no longer a laughingstock of a franchise. They made a move to take the crown for LA & if the Lakers don't do something soon...the Clippers might just take it.
THE BAD:
While getting Paul is a game changer for the Clippers, he only agreed to opt in for the 2012-13 season. If Paul becomes unhappy with his situation there he could walk away. Griffin also ties into this, if Paul leaves what's to stop from doing the same? That gambit (while worth taking) may destroy whatever momentum they build up.
Then there is the fact that the Clippers are still owned by Donald Sterling. When it comes to spending Sterling makes Ebenezer Scrooge look like the 2001-2006 GOP Congress under George W. Bush. That alone might derail the good vibes flowing from Clipperland.
If Paul & Griffin leave the Clippers would go back to being a joke.
THE UGLY:
The ugly factor for the Clippers is how they have used Billups like a poker chip to get Paul. When talks between the Clippers and Hornets first died down Billup was on waivers thanks to being anmestied by the New York Knicks. Billups told teams not to pick him up on waivers and to let him pick his destination, the Clippers didn't listen.
Now that Gordon is gone the Clippers have to convince Billups to play the 2 alongside Paul and hope his 'good guy' personality takes over.
Every man has a breaking point, & I honestly think that Billups has reached his.
Los Angeles Lakers
THE GOOD:
The only good thing coming from the fallout of this for the Lakers is that they still have center Andrew Bynum, and forward Pau Gasol to use as pieces in a possible trade for center Dwight Howard.
THE BAD:
The bad part for the Lakers is that they shot themselves in the foot in trading Odom. When it looked like they were going to get Paul, Odom almost cried during a radio interview. Feeling disrespected after the trade veto, Odom asked the team for a trade & they obliged.
He was sent to the Dallas Mavericks...for essentially a bag of magic beans.
Odom (last season's Sixth Man of The Year) and his contract was a very attractive trade commodity for the Lakers and they pretty much gave him away to a conference rival for nothing. Losing Odom greatly limits what the Lakers can do in the trade market.
THE UGLY:
The ugly part for the Lakers on this can be summed up in one sentence.
Kobe Bryant is PISSED OFF!!
Bryant may sound diplomatic in front of the cameras, but no one denies that he must be fuming behind the scenes.
A similar scenario enveloped the Lakers with Bryant in 2007 and amazingly the guy in charge now, Jim Buss, was in charge then. During that time Bryant had players like Smush Parker and Kwame Brown as teammates and Rudy Tomjonovich as head coach. Bryant was so pissed about the situation that he demanded to be traded to the Chicago Bulls.
The situation was resolved luckily for the Lakers when they pulled off the Gasol trade.
The only way this gets fixed for the Lakers right now to get Howard, nothing else will do. Unfortunately according to ESPN's Ric Bucher has said that LA is a distant third beding the New Jersey Nets and the Mavericks for Howard's services.
The Nets...yea...
Well there you have it folks! The good, bad, and ugly form this trade. It all might change before the season starts, but that's where it stands right now.
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