The NBA . . . . . gone and forgotten

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by octothorp

So what happens if the trade still goes through, but with a return that fans and pundits believe is actually better for New Orleans? Any chance that this gets remembered as Stern just doing his job and getting the best deal possible for the league-owned team, or is the damage irreparable at this point?

I'm on the side that says the damage has been done already. It just sets an odd president when another small market team deals away their star player. If Stern vetoes the deal, he's the dictator again, if he doesn't, he's a hypocrite.

[Da_Chief]

So what was the point of the lockout and did either side achieve what they wanted?

[Drake]

In the details available to Yahoo! Sports, Paul goes the Lakers, Pau Gasol to the Rockets, and Houston still sends Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, and a 2012 first-round pick to the Hornets. The main changes in the deal, originally nixed by the NBA, will come between New Orleans and the Lakers, sources say.

“Everyone in the deal is waiting for guidance from the league,” one official told Yahoo! Sports on Saturday.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_yl...ers_nba_120911

[bluejays]

^ I called it. They're basically forcing Stern's hand.

[Jason14h]

If the "league" whichs owns NO doesn't like the trade, shouldn't they fire the GM....

[octothorp]

I've heard Okafor goes to LA, and Caracter and Ebanks to New Orleans. Which I actually like better for both teams, as Okafor's a good big-man for a contender, while Caracter and Ebanks are good long-term pieces for a rebuilding team.

Although I've also heard that the league won't approve anything that doesn't involve Bynum... the conspiracy theory being that they want to remove the possibility of Bynum for Howard.

[I wanna be like Miikka]

The Laker-haters are gonna be real pissed once this Paul deal goes through

[octothorp]

So... amnesty isn't working exactly as intended. Chauncey Billups has said that he might refuse to show up for any team that claims him off amnesty waivers. Arenas' people are calling around telling people not to claim him because he wants to get to UFA. Richard Hamilton negotiated a lower buyout with the Pistons so that he'd get to be a UFA and wouldn't go on waivers. All these guys are still trying to dicate where they go. Amnesty was intended to give small market teams a shot to pick up the stars, but it looks like pouting is the strategy of choice to get around this.
It wouldn't shock me to see Dan Gilbert put in a $5 claim on every guy who gets amnestied, just to make sure that none of them pass through to free agency and get picked up by the Heat.

[Drake]

Dwight Howard has requested that the Orlando Magic trade him to the New Jersey Nets, league sources tell Y! Sports.

https://twitter.com/#!/WojYahooNBA/status/145639584053727232

Orlando GM Otis Smith told @JoshuaBRobbins today that Howard has asked for a trade. Sources tell Y! Sports that request is for the Nets.

https://twitter.com/#!/WojYahooNBA/status/145640246506307584

[The Big Chill]

Brooklyn is going to have a pretty good team depending on what they have to give up. Deron Williams is an ideal point guard for Howard, plus they will have the pull to get free agents once they move. This, of course, is assuming Howard actually gets traded there.

[Regorium]

Sigh. What a gongshow.

As a super loyal Magic fan for many, many years, I'm done with the NBA.

It wasn't all Howard's fault. Mainly the Magic - for being absolute tards and not seeing that getting ######ed contracts and aging has-beens isn't going to help keep a player that wants to leave (see: Cleveland). But bleh.

[D to the iddy]

Originally Posted by I wanna be like Miikka

The Laker-haters are gonna be real pissed once this Paul deal goes through

As someone who's not a huge fan of the Lakers, I want to see this trade go through. I don't think that Paul makes them a contender in the league, especially since 2 of their 3 best big men. Bynum is unproven over a long period of time due to his injuries, Kobe's getting older and isn't the dominant player he once was and Paul has been injury-laden recently and not a go-to guy.

Now if they can nab Howard for Bynum, that's a team that I'd be scared of.

[Drake]

The three-way deal to send Chris Paul to the Lakers has "fallen apart," league source involved in talks says.

https://twitter.com/#!/WojYahooNBA/status/145728147499909120

Lakers and Hornets won't pursue a direct deal for Chris Paul either, source says. "L.A. can't give them what they need," source says.

https://twitter.com/#!/WojYahooNBA/status/145728147499909120

Says one Western Conference executive: "The Lakers are shifting toward trying to make a Dwight Howard deal."

https://twitter.com/#!/WojYahooNBA/s...32480941572096

[TurnedTheCorner]

Odom to Dallas for draft considerations, ESPN is reporting.

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/s...ording-sources

[OILFAN #81]

Odom deal is to Dallas for a 1st in 2012.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basket...,3682409.story

[octothorp]

Gotta think Odom did this to himself with handling the non-trade so poorly. He had a meeting with Lakers management yesterday. Even though they have already seemingly gone from NBA champions to underdogs, I'll be rooting for Dallas, and I'd love to see Odom getting a shot at the Lakers in the playoffs, just to see how it plays out.

I don't know, I'm sort of hoping it ends up being Paul to the Clippers and Howard to the Lakers; it would set up some epic battles between those two teams. And I don't really want to see NJ emerge as another powerhouse team in the Raptors' division. Although I do think the Hornets need to hold out for Eric Gordon as part of the return if they deal with the Clippers.

Sounds like Hamilton may end up with Chicago -- great fit for them. Although there's also speculation that they're going to push hard for Howard, and would move anyone but Rose for him.

Miami must be loving this: seeing everyone else try to copy their pattern but ultimately failing to get everything together or being vetoed by the league. I don't think anyone is going to put together another superstar team this season, meaning the Heat will never getter a better chance to win a championship than this year.

[socalwingfan]

Wow what a couple of days in Lakerland - looks like they were adding CP3 and possibly Howard and they end up shipping Odom off to the team that eliminated them for scrap. Kobe and Fisher have been very vocal today - very upset that not only was Odom traded but traded to Dallas. Kobe has a mini-tirade today aimed at Jimmy Buss - who is quickly becoming less popular than Frank McCourt in LA - and that is saying something

Kobe "I don't see Cuban protesting this trade"
Kobe on Odom trade: "I don't like it. He's great at bringing guys together. I trust management knows what they're doing...but it's tough."
Kobe on Odom to Mavs "We're suppose to come back and get them back. Tough"

[octothorp]

Yeah, they really need to do something else with those assets. If they can turn the trade exemption and draft pick and Bynum into Howard, it will look pretty good. But a late first isn't worth much and the Nets are in a much better cap position.

In the 'more things change the more they stay the same' category, how about DeAndre Jordan getting $10 million a year? 7 and 7 guy last year... plays hard on defense but gets into foul trouble every other game. Basically Amir Johnson in a center's body. Sounds like the Clippers are doing everything to keep him because he's Griffin's buddy, so I guess it's more shocking that GS was willing to give him an offer sheet for that amount.

[darklord700]

Chris Paul, in the midst of all these, acted like a petulant child. Howard at least gives Orlando the indication of which teams he would like to go to and hence, enhanced his trade value.

Chis Paul wouldn't sign any extension before next year is fine but at least do what Howard did so that he could help out NO.

[Drake]

Originally Posted by darklord700

Chris Paul, in the midst of all these, acted like a petulant child. Howard at least gives Orlando the indication of which teams he would like to go to and hence, enhanced his trade value.

Chis Paul wouldn't sign any extension before next year is fine but at least do what Howard did so that he could help out NO.

Chris Paul has repeatedly demanded a trade to the NY Knicks.