Chris Paul Traded To The L.A. Clippers; Hornets Land Eric Gordon, Coveted Draft Pick And More

Mo Williams Appears To Be Clippers' Obvious Amnesty Candidate After Chris Paul Trade

The Los Angeles Clippers have not yet used the amnesty clause. Now that the Chris Paul trade has stacked the team at point guard, the provision should likely be used on eight-year veteran Mo Williams. 

The Clippers kept second-year point guard Eric Bledsoe in the deal. Bledsoe is injured and likely out for the first month of the season, but L.A. successfully claimed Chauncey Billups off of amnesty waivers on Monday; he, with Paul, should be able to handle the point guard spot just fine, even in Bledsoe's absence.

The Clippers acquired Williams, due $17 million through 2012-13, in a trade that sent Baron Davis to the Cleveland Cavaliers. L.A. also gave up their unprotected first-round pick in the deal; that pick became Kyrie Irving. The Cavs waived Davis under the amnesty clause on Wednesday.

The Clippers wouldn't open up cap space to add additional players by waiving Williams, but should another team claim him off of waivers, L.A. could stand to pay the guard less than that owed $17 million over the next seasons. The team is paying Billups just $2 million this season. L.A. still has its "room exception" to sign another player; the exception is for $2.5 million.

The deadline to use the amnesty clause for this season is Friday.

For more on the Clippers, visit Clips Nation.

Chris Paul Heaps Pressure On Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro

Vinny Del Negro has traditionally existed as an NBA head coach without expectations. He first took the chair in 2008 with the Chicago Bulls. The team was starting a rookie, Derrick Rose, at point guard. There was no expectation to for Del Negro to lead the team to the playoffs ... but he did accomplish that. Expectations rose a bit the following season (though Rose still was not nearly the player we now know him as), but they still weren't high. Del Negro's squad met them, returning to the postseason.

Nonetheless, due to disputes with the front office and the (possibly accurate) sense that Chicago's success was due far more to the players' raw talent than anything V.D.N. offered, the coach was gone. He quickly landed with the L.A. Clippers, where he inherited a rookie Blake Griffin, a young Eric Gordon and a team destined to be a very exciting lottery squad.

As it turns out, the 2010-11 Clippers turned out to be a very exciting lottery squad. 

Expectations are much higher now, higher than they've ever been for Coach Del Negro. With Chris Paul in place, L.A. will be expected to not only make the postseason this year, but do some damage. Clippers GM Neil Olshey hired Del Negro, so there are no particular issues there, but if the team fails to get rolling quickly, Del Negro is the obvious fall guy. This team has the talent to win big, and CP3 is the best floor general in the game. But every good team needs a proper coach, and it remains to be seen whether V.D.N. can accomplish something with a better-than-average squad. We'll see.

For more on L.A., visit Clips Nation.

Chris Paul Trade Leaves Hornets With Salary Cap Space In 2011 And 2012

After executing a trade to send Chris Paul to the L.A. Clippers, the New Orleans Hornets will continue to have some cap space for the waning 2011 free agent session in addition to a boatload of room scheduled for 2012.

The Hornets took Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu and a 2012 draft pick back in exchange for Paul in a trade made official on Wednesday. That gives New Orleans a 2011-12 salary cap figure of $48 million, which is $10 million below the cap. The Hornets are above the league's $46 million payroll floor, so there is no compulsory reason to send any more, though few would argue that the team could use some more help at point guard and power forward.

The outlook for 2012 is pretty similar. The Hornets have five players slated to remain under contract in 2012-13: Al-Farouq Aminu (acquired in the CP3 trade), Emeka Okafor, Jarrett Jack, Trevor Ariza and Quincy Pondexter. (Aminu and Pondexter are under team options, but they are cheap enough to consider guaranteed.) Those players -- plus two project top-seven draft picks -- are slated to earn $37 million between them, leaving a projected $21 million in cap space. But this doesn't account for Eric Gordon, who will be coming off of his rookie deal. The Hornets are expected to make a move to extend Gordon's contract long-term before the January 25, 2012, deadline to do so; one imagines that Gordon's 2012-13 salary, assuming that he's retained, will be $10-12 million. That significantly decreases the team's cap space outlook for 2012.

But Okafor, Ariza and Jack can be expected to be the subjects of trade rumors; Jack might end up a late amnesty candidate in 2012 if there's a free agent that New Orleans likes. While the Hornets may want to hold off on exploring the pricey free agent market, they should have options in 2012.

For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive.

With Chris Paul Running The Clippers, Blake Griffin Figures To Get Even Easier Shots

The L.A. Clippers traded for Chris Paul on Wednesday, and in about 10 days we'll see what promises to be the beginning of something sweet as CP3 will take the court with the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, All-Star and dunk champ Blake Griffin. As a rook in 2010-11, Griffin became must-watch television for fans all over the world thanks to his powerful above-the-rim game; he managed to do what the New York Knicks could not and make Timofey Mozgov famous in America. The Clippers became a huge road draw as well as fans paid for the opportunity to see the kid in the flesh, dunking on everything.

That version of Blake Griffin had Baron Davis, Eric Bledsoe and Mo Williams running the point for me. Boom has always been a good passer (he's averaged more than eight assists per game thrice), Bledsoe is quick and has decent vision and Mo ... well, Mo threw more alley-oops in a couple dozen games in L.A. than he had in the previous 7-1/2 years, and he played with LeBron.

But Paul is something else entirely. CP3 has twice led the league assists per game, and has a career average 9.9 per contest (tops among all active players) while having played for coaches (Byron Scott and Monty Williams, with some Jeff Bower tossed in) who ran some of the most deliberate offenses in basketball. His career assist rate is 46 percent, which is No. 2 all-time, behind just John Stockton. He is the best and most exacting passer since Stockton, with the possible exception of Steve Nash; at the very least, CP3 and Nash have court vision so far above most of their peers -- guys like Davis, Bledsoe and Williams -- that it's almost a ridiculous comparison to even make. (Jason Kidd and Deron Williams should be mentioned in the supreme court vision club, as well.)

Add that court vision to Griffin's destructive tendencies, and you have something monstrous on your hands. It's hard to tell how big CP3's impact will be from Day 1; Paul has never had a finisher like Griffin on his team. Tyson Chandler circa 2008 would seem to be an appropriate comparison, but the Clippers will hope that DeAndre Jordan more closely emulates him, while Griffin refines his already-strong floor game to mimic David West. But there's no question that CP3 is the best passer Griffin will have ever played with, that he's also a great shooter who will help space the floor and that this is a huge step in Blake's young career. What we saw in 2010-11 may just be the surface of what Griffin delivers over the next few seasons.

For more on the Clippers, visit Clips Nation.

Chris Paul Trade Allows Clippers To Raise Ticket Prices

Lakers Reportedly Angry About Chris Paul Trade To Clippers

A week ago, the L.A. Lakers thought that they had a deal with the New Orleans Hornets that would result in Chris Paul playing in Southern California. The NBA, which currently runs the Hornets, nixed the trade at what seemed to be the last moment. On Wednesday, the Hornets did consummate a CP3 trade, but this time with the L.A. Clippers. 

As you'd expect, the Lakers aren't terribly happy with this turn of events. From the Los Angeles Times' Mike Bresnahan:

The Lakers were privately fuming Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of their front office, when Paul, the New Orleans point guard, ended up in Los Angeles six days after the NBA vetoed the Lakers' trade for him.

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak declined to comment through a spokesman but earlier this week said the NBA's blockade was "completely unexpected."

The situation will only be made worse when the Lakers have to pony up a reported $50 million as a part of the league's new revenue sharing program. The Hornets, who will be owned by the league for at least a few more months, will likely be a major beneficiary of the program, and could take in $15 million in redistributed funds this season.

For more on the Lakers, visit SB Nation's Silver Screen And Roll.

Chris Paul Trade Knocks Hornets Into Rebuild Mode, Where Patience Will Reign

After trading Chris Paul to the L.A. Clippers, the New Orleans Hornets figure to be just awful for at least a year or two. That's a bitter pill for all of those new season ticket holders, but fans are smart enough to know that patience will be rewarded.

Chris Paul Trade: David Stern Denies Lakers' Deal Was 'Done' Before He Spiked It

The New Orleans Hornets agreed to trade Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, just six after the league office -- which operates the franchise while it remains without an independent owner -- spiked a reported deal to send the All-NBA point guard to the Los Angeles Lakers. The saga that unfolded around the failed Lakers deal took on a life of its own, with e-mails from Dan Gilbert, conspiracy theories surrounding competitive balance and other items of intrigue making the rounds.

One of those narratives that has become accepted as fact is that Hornets GM Dell Demps had a deal in principle with the Lakers and Houston Rockets to send CP3 to L.A. for Lamar Odom, Luis Scola and Kevin Martin; Houston would get Pau Gasol. But in the league's conference call announcing the trade on Thursday, NBA commissioner David Stern retorted that the Lakers' deal was never considered "done" by Demps.

"Dell never thought the deal to be done, and those who said that, all for attribution off the record, were trying to force him to make that deal," Stern said Thursday. "But Dell came to us in the normal course. He was presenting lots of different options and opportunities. He then presented this one to Jac and me, and we said that we weren't ready to sign off on that one at that time. He said, 'okay, we have a very valuable player, and let's go let's see what else we can do.'"

Demps was also on Thursday's call, but did not jump in to comment on the Lakers deal. He did say that what happened on the Hornets' side in this saga happens all over the league with respect to owners' positions on potential transactions.

Chris Paul Trade Piques Interest In A Few Games On Clippers' Schedule

A favorite pastime of NBA addicts when a major trade goes down is to check the teams' schedule to find intriguing match-ups. Chris Paul was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, which provides just that opportunity.

CP3 will have three games against the Hornets this season, but just one in New Orleans. That game will be on March 22. It's currently listed as a League Pass and local TV game, but as that lands on a Thursday, you can expect TNT to pick it up for its early game on the usual double-header. The Hornets will visit the Clippers on March 26 and April 22, with both games already slated for broadcast on NBA TV.

The other set of games everyone will be waiting to see are those in which CP3 and the Clippers will face the L.A. Lakers, who thought they had a deal for Paul a week ago before NBA commissioner David Stern (who runs the league-owned Hornets) killed the deal. The Lakers and Clippers will actually meet twice in the preseason (Monday and Wednesday of next week) with both games slated for NBA TV. On the regular season docket, the teams will meet on January 14 (League Pass), January 25 (NBA TV, but likely to be upgraded to ESPN) and April 4 (ESPN).

Paul had originally requested a trade to the New York Knicks; the Clippers will face the 'Bockers just once, on April 25 (the penultimate day of the regular season) at Madison Square Garden. The game was already scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN.

For more on the L.A.'s second team, visit Clips Nation.

David Stern Promises Hornets Will Remain In New Orleans

In his conference call announcing the Chris Paul trade to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, NBA commissioner David Stern said that the league is only accepting offers from potential buyers of the New Orleans Hornets who will keep the club in southern Louisiana. 

"Our sole focus was and will remain -- until we sell this team, hopefully which will be in the first half of 2012 -- how best to maintain the Hornets, make them as attractive and competitive as we can, and ensure that we have a buyer that will keep them in New Orleans," Stern said.

The league bought the franchise from founding owner George Shinn in December 2010. Stern has maintained a desire to keep the Hornets in New Orleans throughout the league's ownership of the club, and reportedly turned down a lucrative offer from Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who wanted to move the franchise to San Jose, Calif.

For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive.

Chris Paul Trade To Los Angeles Clippers Is Official

Chris Paul has been officially traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, the New Orleans Hornets announced on Wednesday evening. Despite multiple reports indicating Paul was dealt to the Clippers in exchange for Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman and Al-Farouq Aminu, it was hard to not get a sense of deja vu. After all, it was just about a week ago that a deal to send Paul to the Lakers was finalized, only to be vetoed by David Stern.

But now that the Hornets have sent out a press release, we can go ahead and stand down. This one is official and Paul is bound for the Clippers. The last-minute roadblocks never sprung up and after a week of trying, a deal was finally consummated.

Oh, but you didn't think things would go forward without getting a little awkward, did you? Take it away, Adrian Wojnarowksi.

Unreal. The NBA is making Dell Demps talk on a conference call with David Stern tonight. Just unreal. A media conference call, I should say.

Remember, this is the same Dell Demps that saw his trade proposals reportedly vetoed multiple times by Stern. In fact, Woj reported Demps didn't make this deal and that is was all worked out by the league.

For more on the Clippers, visit Clips Nation. For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive.

Eric Gordon Found Out He Was Traded In An Awkward Way

With Chris Paul Trade, Can Clippers Count On Return To NBA Playoffs?

By trading for Chris Paul, the L.A. Clippers have likely found a way to escape their futile history ... for now.

Chris Kaman Dealt To New Orleans In Chris Paul Trade

Chris Paul Trade Sends To Hornets One Of The Most Coveted Draft Picks In Years

In the trade package for Chris Paul, who was reportedly sent to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, the New Orleans Hornets are getting two incredible pieces. One is stud shooting guard Eric Gordon, the second coming of Mitch Richmond. The other is the unprotected 2012 first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Wolves traded the pick with Sam Cassell to the Clippers in 2005 (yes, 2005) for Marko Jaric (yes, Marko Jaric). It had been protected for a number of years, but the Wolves have been so bad that the protections finally ran out. No matter how bad Minnesota is this season, the Hornets will take their pick in the draft.

For an idea of just how bad the Wolves have been lately:

• Minnesota has more losses (190) than any other team in the NBA over the past three seasons, averaging roughly a 19-63 record each year. The second-worst team over that span, the Kings, have averaged a 22-60 record.
• Minnesota has finished with one of the six worst records in the league in each of the past four seasons, one of the four worst three times and one of the two worst in each of the past two seasons. 
• Minnesota has not drafted lower than No. 7 overall since 2005.

The 2012 draft also happens to be one of the best drafts since 2007, when Greg Oden and Kevin Durant went No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive.

Eric Gordon Reportedly Heading To Hornets As Part Of Chris Paul Trade

The New Orleans Hornets have agreed in principle to trade All-NBA point guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers for a package including stud shooting guard Eric Gordon, according to ESPN's Marc Stein. The package will also send veteran center Chris Kaman, young forward Al-Farouq Aminu and the unprotected 2012 first-round pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Hornets.

Gordon played one season of college basketball at Indiana and finished his freshman season leading the Big Ten in scoring and tied for 19th in the nation at 21.5 points per game. Gordon entered the 2008 NBA Draft and was selected seventh overall by the Clippers.

Gordon has played progressively less games in each of his three seasons with the Clippers, going from 78 to 56, mostly due to injury. That hasn't prevented him from scoring in droves, averaging 22.3 points per game last season. He was on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and was part of the 2010 FIBA World Championship gold medal team.

For more on the Clippers, visit Clips Nation. For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive.

Chris Paul Trade: Al-Farouq Aminu Heads To New Orleans

The New Orleans Hornets have agreed in principle to trade All-NBA point guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers for a package including stud shooting guard Eric Gordon, according to ESPN's Marc Stein. The package will also send veteran center Chris Kaman, young forward Al-Farouq Aminu and the unprotected 2012 first-round pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Hornets.

A member of the 2008 McDonald's All-American Team and a star at Wake Forest, Aminu was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2010 NBA Draft with the 8th overall pick. He averaged 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 81 games played last season, 14 of which he was a starter.

In New Orleans, he should play behind Trevor Ariza at small forward, provided that Ariza doesn't immediately go on the trade block.

For more on the Clippers, visit Clips Nation. For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive.

Chris Paul Trade Reportedly Includes 2012-13 Guarantee For Clippers

One of the key questions circling around Chris Paul trade talk over the past two weeks was whether the All-NBA point guard would pick up his player option for 2012-13 or sign a long-term deal if traded to a team not on his initial list of acceptable landing spots. As it turns out, according to ESPN's Marc Stein, Paul did agree to remain under contract through 2013 in Thursday's reported trade to the Los Angeles Clippers.

That gives the Clippers two seasons to convince CP3 to remain in L.A. long-term -- and not with the city's more glamorous squad. It also dings the 2012 free agent class plenty; Paul would have been No. 2 on that list behind Dwight Howard and ahead of Deron Williams.

The Clippers should immediately burst into the West playoff picture, and no one has ever complained about playing with Chauncey Billups or Blake Griffin. The Clippers could have the makings of a dynasty. At least the franchise knows it will have at least two years to suss that out.

Chris Paul Traded To Clippers For Package Led By Eric Gordon, According To Report

The New Orleans Hornets have agreed in principle to trade All-NBA point guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers for a package including stud shooting guard Eric Gordon, according to ESPN's Marc Stein. The package will also send veteran center Chris Kaman, young forward Al-Farouq Aminu and the unprotected 2012 first-round pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Hornets.

The Hornets are currently owned by the NBA. One week ago, the Los Angeles Lakers had reportedly reached a deal with New Orleans' front office to send CP3 out West. But late Thursday, NBA commissioner David Stern spiked the deal, arguing that the Hornets were more valuable with CP3 on the roster.

With this deal, the Clippers -- who have All-Star Blake Griffin, signed free agent Caron Butler, acquired Chauncey Billups from amnesty waivers and retained center DeAndre Jordan -- will be vaulted into the playoff picture. It's unclear how long CP3 is willing to commit to the Clippers, as he can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2012. It's unlikely that L.A. would be willing to give up so much without an assurance that Paul would stick around for a while.

For more on the Clippers, visit Clips Nation. For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive.

Chris Paul And The Morality Of Choosing Your Team

Is Chris Paul a bad guy for wanting to decide where he spends his next contract? So long as there's little financial incentive to remain with the New Orleans Hornets, why would he let the league dictate his options?

Chris Paul Trade Talks Revived After Clippers Claim Chauncey Billups

Trade talks involving Chris Paul between the New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers were believed to be dead Monday afternoon -- and the Clippers' winning amnesty bid for Chauncey Billups announced Monday evening seemed to put the nail in the coffin.

But wait! Billups' arrival may allow the Clips to sweeten their offer for Paul. At least, that's the logic that league sources are telling Ken Berger of CBS Sports:

The Chris Paul talks that would never die were revived Monday night, with a twist that was enraging some rival general managers. The Clippers' winning waiver claim on Chauncey Billups allowed them to include point guard Eric Bledsoe in the deal, which could push it over the finish line, league sources told CBSSports.com.

By claiming Billups for about $2 million, the Clippers were able to solve the dilemma of not having another point guard on the roster -- Mo Williams likely slides into the Jason Terry sixth man role, if he isn't included in the trade or waived with amnesty. Thus, L.A. could responsibly include Bledsoe in a blockbuster package for Paul. Given that the league already has vetoed a previous three-team trade that would've sent Paul to the Lakers, executives brokering the deal for the owner-less Hornets "have nowhere else to go," said a person familiar with the negotiations.

"They have no choice" but to make sure Paul is traded to the Clippers, the person said.

But here's the rub: Billups has already threatened to retire if he was claimed, let alone claimed by a team intending to move him to the bench. "I've got a few good years left to play, and I'm not trying to come in and sit on the bench, or be a mentor," he said in an interview with Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski. "I'm not going to be that guy. I want to go somewhere and win. I want to choose."

If the Clippers trade for Paul without including Eric Gordon (a reported deal-breaker) and keep Mo Williams, Billups would be the third or fourth man in a four-guard rotation. That'd be incredible depth for the Clippers ... but incredibly frustrating for Billups. If Williams is dumped, a three-guard rotation in which three players play roughly 32 minutes might work, so long as Billups is sold on the Clippers being able to contend, which shouldn't be taken for granted considering they won just 32 games in 2010-11.

Couldn't the Clippers simply trade Billups to a team he's willing to play for? Unfortunately, no. Players acquired via amnesty waivers are ineligible to be traded until July 1. This is apparently a point of confusion among some league executives, which almost makes you wonder if the Clippers realized as much when placing their bid.

All of this is moot if Billups doesn't follow through on his threat, but between his own statements and those from his agent Andy Miller, the Clippers can't anything for granted until the day he shows up. So while trade talks might be revived for now, don't expect any actual moves until this is resolved.

Chris Paul Trade Talks With Clippers Reportedly Not 'Over'

The Chris Paul-to-the-Clippers rumors have oscillated between a trade being imminent and dead since a deal appeared to be in place on Sunday night before it fell apart earlier on Monday. The talks appeared over earlier Monday, but the latest ESPN.com report indicates that the league-owned Hornets once again pushing Paul toward the Clippers and that a deal could be done as soon as Tuesday.

A source told ESPN.com that the NBA is "hopeful" that it can resolve the issue "soon." The league would like to end this trade-request saga, which has blown up since David Stern vetoed a three-team trade that would have sent Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Everything's over until it's reborn again," [Clippers general manager Neil] Olshey said. "I'm not going to drag this out. New Orleans made a fair offer on their end. We didn't think it was something we wanted to pursue at this point and we move on. I met with the team and (coach) Vinny (Del Negro) this morning. We love these guys and it took us three years to get in this position. We've been waiting on draft picks that are coming to fruition. Our players are developing, our young guys keep getting better, we added a key free agent (Caron Butler)."

The Clippers seemed to have moved on from the prospect of a trading for Paul when they made a surprise winning bid to claim point guard Chauncey Billups, who was amnesty-ed on Friday by the New York Knicks.

But a source told ESPN that the winning bid was for $2 million, which is not the type of financial commitment that would prevent the team from bringing in Paul. Los Angeles believed the Hornets' asking price to be too steep, but remains interested if adjustments are made to the trade request.

For more details on the trade talks and to keep up with the latest news and rumors, check out SB Nation NBA's Chris Paul X Clippers Trade StoryStream.

Roger Mason Says CBA Negotiations Were 'Weird' For Chris Paul

Chris Paul Trade With Clippers Could Be Revived, According To Report

Reports of New Orleans Hornets star Chris Paul heading to the Los Angeles Clippers have come and gone at lightning speed over the last couple days. Last we heard the deal was off due to financial demands. Now, CBS Sports' Ken Berger is reporting that the talks may resume.

The deal was said to be off the table originally due to the league/Hornets' steep asking price. However, it was noted at the time that the deal could be revived, but under different terms. Looks like that might be the case.

UPDATE: Berger now reports that as far as the Clippers are concerned, the deal is dead.

For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive. For more on the Clippers, visit Clips Nation and SB Nation Los Angeles.

Chris Paul Trade To Clippers Dead Due To High Asking Price, According To Report

It sounds like another Chris Paul trade to a Los Angeles team is dead. The NBA already vetoed a proposed trade that would have sent the New Orleans Hornets' star to the Los Angeles Lakers, and it appears the same is happening for a trade that would have sent Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers. A proposed trade between the two teams has died for now, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.

It appears the league/Hornets' steep asking price is the reason, according to Wojnarowski. The league/Hornets is asking the Clippers to surrender rising star Eric Gordon, promising youngsters Eric Bledsoe and Al-Farouq Aminu, center and expiring contract Chris Kaman and the unprotected 2012 first-round pick the Clippers have from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Clippers so far appear unwilling to give up that much for Paul.

Wojnarowski reports that the trade could be revived, but under different terms. The Hornets are scheduled to play a preseason game on Friday and only have six players under contract.

For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive. For more on the Clippers, visit Clips Nation and SB Nation Los Angeles.

Chris Paul Trade Rumors Raise Conflicting Reports On Eric Gordon

If the New Orleans Hornets trade Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers, will Eric Gordon be headed to the Crescent City? That question is at the center of conflicting reports from Yahoo! Sports on ESPN.

Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski reported early Monday that Gordon was not included in the deal as under review by the NBA, which owns the Hornets. That report matched a Los Angeles Times report on Sunday that did not include Gordon in the package.

ESPN's Chris Broussard followed Woj's report by saying not only that Gordon is included in the deal, but that the Clippers are trying to keep Gordon's name out of reports to prevent a Lamar Odom situation, should the trade fall apart. (The L.A. Lakers had to trade a disgruntled Odom on Saturday after he was shaken up by reports he'd be traded to New Orleans; the Lakers' deal for CP3 was blocked by the league office.)

We should find out whether Gordon is heading to N.O. soon enough.

Chris Paul To The Clippers? Thank Goodness Someone's Looking Out For Donald Sterling

David Stern killed the L.A. Lakers' acquisition of Chris Paul last week. Thankfully, the most vile owner in pro sports -- Donald T. Sterling of the L.A. Clippers -- will be the primary beneficiary.

Chris Paul Trade Could Send Eric Gordon From Clippers To Hornets, According To Report

Late Sunday, it appeared that a proposed trade to send All-Star point guard Chris Paul from the league-owned New Orleans Hornets to the Los Angeles Clippers would not result in stud shooting guard Eric Gordon being sent back to the Crescent City. But according to an ESPN report Monday, Gordon may have replaced Eric Bledsoe in the deal. The Hornets would also receive Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and the Minnesota Timberwolves' unprotected 2012 first-round pick, conveyed to the Clips back in 2005.

Gordon and the pick would make this a great package for the Hornets, though the 10,000 New Orleans season ticket holders -- a point of pride for the league -- may have to wait for on-court success. Gordon is a dynamic talent who averaged 22 points per game last season. He has one year left on his rookie deal, and is actually eligible to sign an early Bird extension this offseason.

For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive. For more on the Clippers, visit Clips Nation.

Chris Paul To The Clippers Trade Close To Final, According To Report

The Los Angeles Clippers are close to a deal to acquire Chris Paul from the league-owned New Orleans Hornets, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Talks progressed Sunday, and by the end of the way the Clippers were prepared to send Eric Bledsoe, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and the Minnesota Timberwolves' unprotected first-round pick in the stacked 2010 NBA Draft in exchange for CP3.

The Clippers acquired the Wolves' pick in a 2005 trade for Sam Cassell. Minnesota has won 32 games over the last two seasons combined, and is expected to be in the lottery once again.

The deal is notable in that it includes neither of the Clippers' two brightest young stars: Blake Griffin or Eric Gordon. Griffin is the reigning Rookie of the Year and an All-Star; Gordon is a 20-point scorer with a deadly stroke and surprising athleticism.

The NBA blocked a deal reached last Thursday that would have sent CP3 to the L.A. Lakers for Lamar Odom and three players from the Houston Rockets (Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and Goran Dragic). Pau Gasol would have gone to Houston in that scenario.

For more on the Clippers, visit Clips Nation.

Chris Paul Trade To Clippers In Early Stages, According To Report

Chris Paul will not be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers this season, thanks to the NBA vetoing a deal early in the weekend, but that doesn't mean he won't be sent to L.A. from the New Orleans Hornets this offseason. The latest reports indicate that a trade between the Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers are in the early stages.

The Hornets are asking for Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Eric Bledsoe, Al-Farouq Aminu and two first round picks, according to ESPN's Chris Broussard. Rumors indicate that the Clippers would likely include Gordon, but only with a caveat -- if Paul agrees to opt-in to the final season if his deal.

Paul has a final year on his contract worth $18 million that he could opt into if he wishes, but that hasn't seemed like a likely arrangement due to his ability to become a free agent after the upcoming season. If he's interested in forming a dynasty with Blake Griffin and friends, however, there's a possibility he adds the extra year to his contract.

It'c clear that Paul will likely be traded sooner rather than later and, as of now, it seems that the Clippers have become the current front-runner.

Chris Paul Trade Proposal Vetoed Again On Saturday, According To Report

The reported three-team trade that would've sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles is off after the Lakers pulled out of the deal on Saturday to send Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks. But why did the Lakers seemingly turn their backs on a deal that came so close to the finish line multiple times over the last four days? Connecting the dots, it would seem the leagues reported refusal to sign off on a second proposal, which was sent to it on Saturday, may  the cause.

Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski reports another proposal was sent to the league on Saturday, and vetoed again by the league office.

The Hornets had delivered a reconstructed framework of the three-team blockbuster trade that would have sent Paul to the Lakers into the NBA office for approval Saturday, but the NBA still refused to approve it.

Wojnarowski also quotes a source who says the league has become a headache as it middles with the Hornets.

“My initial reaction is, ‘Who wants to go through that headache with the NBA playing God?’ You want to do a deal. New Orleans’ front office wants to do a deal. And the third party – the NBA – says you can do it? Should I call Stern and see if they’re going to waive Patrick Ewing Jr., since he’s only partially guaranteed? ”

In the end, the Lakers gave up on any deal, instead shuttling Odom off to the Mavericks and moving on. What comes next for the Hornets as they try to get something for Paul, however, remains to be seen. If the last few days are any indication, dealing Paul is a mess, thanks in large part to the outside interference from above.

Chris Paul Trade Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers Now A Possible Destination

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly out of the Chris Paul sweepstakes after yanking Lamar Odom from the proposed deal to send him to the Dallas Mavericks, but that doesn't mean Paul isn't heading for Los Angeles. With the Lakers moving on, the Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly the favorite to land Paul, though the process still has a ways to go. This all happened after the original deal for Paul, a three-team trade involving the Hornets, Lakers and Rockets, was vetoed by the NBA, forcing all three teams to head back to the drawing board.

Now, ESPN's Marc Stein says the other Los Angeles team is very in the mix for Paul.

Sources close to the situation tell ESPN that Clippers have emerged as "early frontrunner" to acquire CP3 now that Lakers out of running

Whether the Clippers continue to be the frontrunner, however, remains to be seen. But at this point, the Lakers loss, reportedly by choice, could end up being the Clippers game.

For more on the Hornets, head over to At the Hive. Visit Clips Nation for all your Clippers News needs. For more NBA free agency rumors, visit that StoryStream. For a complete NBA free agency preview, visit this StoryStream.

Chris Paul Trade Falls Through After Los Angeles Lakers Reportedly Back Out Of Deal

Multiple reports are now indicating the Los Angeles Lakers have thrown in the towel and elected to scrap a proposed three-team trade for Chris Paul. The Lakers had a deal that would bring Paul to Los Angeles on Thursday, only to see it vetoed by NBA commissioner David Stern. After getting back to work in an attempt to reconstruct the trade so that the league would approve it, the Lakers have abruptly backed away from the deal, according to reports.

Adrian Wojnarowski, among others, is reporting the trade is off.

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

And then there's this, from ESPN's Marc Stein.

Sources say Lakers will instead trade Lamar Odom to Dallas into Mavericks' new trade exception

So after all that, it appears the Lakers are content to walk away, perhaps pursuing other options and players. Just when you thought things couldn't get any stranger, they have.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream for further updates. You can also follow along with our Hornets blog, At the Hive, our Lakers blog, Silver Screen and Roll, and our Rockets blog, The Dream Shake.

Chris Paul Trade 2.0 Submitted: Lakers, Hornets, And Rockets Wait For Approval

The Chris Paul trade to the Los Angeles Lakers was vetoed when it was first submitted on Thursday evening, but that doesn't mean the New Orleans Hornets All-Star won't be a teammate of Kobe Bryant this season. In fact, according to ESPN, a similar trade was submitted for league approval on Saturday morning.

It's unclear exactly what was changed in the latest proposal as Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the deal between the Hornets and Houston Rockets, the third team in the trade, is still going to be the same. The new rendition likely involves either younger or better players being shipped from the Lakers to the Hornets.

NBA Commissioner David Stern said on Friday that the league didn't believe that the original offer -- which would have netted the Hornets Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and Lamar Odom to go with a future first round pick -- was enough to keep the Hornets as a viable team without their superstar point guard.

"The decision was taken that Chris Paul in New Orleans was more valuable than the trade that was being discussed," David Stern tells Bloomberg. "I don't want to speak on the basketball side, but that particular one was weighed against Chris Paul's continued presence in New Orleans.''

More details should emerge at some point on Saturday afternoon. As of now, though, it seems the Hornets were able to apparently net a better offer thanks to Stern nixing the original deal.

Hornets GM Dell Demps: NBA Has Cleared Team To Make Another Trade, Chris Paul Or Otherwise

A day after the NBA vetoed a reported deal sending Chris Paul to the L.A. Lakers, Dell Demps, the general manager of the league-owned New Orleans Hornets, said that he has clearance to proposed additional trades that involve CP3 or other players.

SB Nation's At The Hive has the quotes:

"Yes, we've been given autonomy to make another trade. ... There's many times than owner comes and nixes a deal. It usually just doesn't become public like this. This is not unusual."

What is unusual is that NBA commissioner David Stern -- not league-appointed Hornets chairman Jac Sperling -- apparently made the call to disallow the trade. That decision came after reported outcries from other NBA owners who hated to see the Lakers add a superstar to the roster.

It remains to be seen whether the Lakers, Hornets and Houston Rockets can tweak Thursday's deal to be acceptable for Stern. It's pretty clear that no deal that results in CP3 playing for the Lakers will be suitable for the other NBA owners.

Chris Paul Trade Talks Between Lakers, Hornets, Rockets Resume, According To Report

Talks to find a trade to send Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers have resumed, reports Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski. On Thursday, the Lakers reached a deal with the league-owned New Orleans Hornets and Houston Rockets to acquired Paul for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. But the NBA vetoed the deal, with commissioner David Stern citing "basketball reasons" as the rationale. On Friday, in a statement, Stern stuck to his position, saying that the league felt that the Hornets were more valuable with Paul on the roster.

But a revamped deal could get league approval. There was mass outrage targeted at Stern and the owners who are known to have pushed for the veto, including the Cleveland Cavaliers' Dan Gilbert and Dallas Mavericks' Mark Cuban. But nothing official has come from the league signaling that Stern would accept a different deal.

When the league took over the Hornets in December 2010, Stern said the NBA would approve any recommendations that the Hornets' management team made on the roster.

For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive.

Chris Paul Reports To New Orleans Hornets Training Camp After Trade To Lakers Vetoed

At first, it looked like Chris Paul would not report to New Orleans Hornets training camp on Friday after a three-way trade that would have sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers was vetoed by David Stern. Reports indicated Paul was angry and would not report out of protest. However, those reports appear to have been premature. Paul is currently practicing along with the rest of the Hornets, according to Hornets.com writer Jim Eichenhofer.

Hornets vets I've seen walking into gym: Ariza, Patrick Ewing Jr., Jarrett Jack, Okafor, Chris Paul, Quincy Pondexter #HornetsCamp

The news means that all the members of the original three-way trade between the Lakers, Hornets and Houston Rockets are at their respective training camps. Lamar Odom showed up 90 minutes late, while Pau Gasol, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic were all on time.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream for further updates. You can also follow along with our Hornets blog, At the Hive, our Lakers blog, Silver Screen and Roll, and our Rockets blog, The Dream Shake.

Chris Paul Trade Vetoed, And Chris Paul's Dad Is Very Upset About It

By all accounts, Chris Paul is very upset that a proposed three-team deal that would have sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers was vetoed by NBA commissioner David Stern. In case there was any doubt of that, Paul's father said so in an interview with Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest.

"Chris is pissed off," Charles Paul, the father of Chris Paul told CSNNW.com. "He's going to leave after the season anyway and it's not right that these owners are trying to dictate where Chris lands."

Charles Paul said that Paul just "wants to go somewhere he can win" and that the trade was fair. He later called the whole thing a "joke" and noted that the Hornets currently have five players under contract. Paul is not expected to report to the Hornets when they open training camp on Friday.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream for further updates. You can also follow along with our Hornets blog, At the Hive, our Lakers blog, Silver Screen and Roll, and our Rockets blog, The Dream Shake.

Pau Gasol Shows Up To Lakers' Training Camp After Failed Chris Paul Trade, But Lamar Odom Is M.I.A.

For a few hours on Thursday, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom were set to be traded by the L.A. Lakers to the Houston Rockets and New Orleans Hornets, respectively, with Chris Paul going back to Southern California. But NBA commissioner David Stern blocked the deal for the league-owned Hornets, first citing "basketball reasons" and on Friday tying the decision to the Hornets' franchise holding more value with CP3 on the roster. 

In the interim, Gasol and Odom were told to report for training camp with the Lakers on Friday. Gasol did show up, but the Los Angeles Times' Mike Bresnahan reports that Odom was missing.

Odom had been very emotional on Thursday night, reacting with a mix of anger and devastation at the trade and subsequent retraction. It's unclear whether the Lakers will now seek to move Odom in another deal or if he can be brought back into the fold by the franchise, which he has played for since 2004.

UPDATE, 3:49 p.m. ET: Odom has reportedly arrived at the Lakers' practice facility.

David Stern Releases Statement On Veto Of Lakers' Chris Paul Trade

NBA commissioner David Stern released a statement Friday on his Thursday veto of the league-owned New Orleans Hornets' trade sending All-Star point guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Since the NBA purchased the New Orleans Hornets, final responsibility for significant management decisions lies with the Commissioner's Office in consultation with team chairman Jac Sperling. All decisions are made on the basis of what is in the best interests of the Hornets. In the case of the trade proposal that was made to the Hornets for Chris Paul, we decided, free from the influence of other NBA owners, that the team was better served with Chris in a Hornets uniform than by the outcome of the terms of that trade."

A year ago, when the league took over the Hornets, Stern had made clear that his office would approve moves recommended by appointed chairman Sperling, team president Hugh Weber and general manager Dell Demps. It is unclear what has changed.

Multiple owners have been reported to have pushed Stern to block the trade. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban openly admittedly his distaste with the deal on Friday. Yahoo! published an e-mail from Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert decrying the deal late Thursday. 

Knicks Offered Amar'e Stoudemire In Rejected Chris Paul Trade, According To Report

The New York Knicks has offered to trade Amar'e Stoudemire to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for Chris Paul, according to the New York Post's Peter Vecsey. But the Hornets rejected the deal on Thursday.

The Hornets did have a CP3 trade in place on Thursday, one that would have sent the All-Star point guard to the L.A. Lakers with the Hornets landing Lamar Odom and three players from the Houston Rockets (Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic). Pau Gasol would have gone to the Rockets. But David Stern vetoed the deal from the league-owned Hornets' position.

That the Knicks are willing to unload Stoudemire for a guard after reportedly reaching a deal with free agent Tyson Chandler -- CP3's former teammate in New Orleans and an elite defender -- is notable. The Knicks brought All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony to town last season to pair with Stoudemire after picking up the big man in free agency.

For more on the Knicks, visit Posting And Toasting.

Chris Paul Trade Veto Supported By Mark Cuban

The decision to veto a trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team deal involving the New Orleans Hornets and Houston Rockets was made by commissioner David Stern. However, there are several owners who supported the commissioner's decision. One such owner is Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks.

Cuban went on record in a radio interview, transcribed by ESPN Dallas, to pull his full support behind Stern:

"The message is we went through this lockout for a reason," Cuban said Friday on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's Ben and Skin Show. "Again, I'm not speaking for Stern. He's not telling me his thought process. I'm just telling you my perspective, having gone through all this. There's a reason that we went through this lockout, and one of the reasons is to give small-market teams the ability to keep their stars and the ability to compete."

This isn't the first time that Cuban has opined on a Hornets transaction. Last year, he objected to the Hornets paying a little extra cash to acquire Carl Landry from the Sacramento Kings for Marcus Thornton. His support for the commissioner in this case is therefore not particularly surprising.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream for further updates. You can also follow along with our Hornets blog, At the Hive, our Lakers blog, Silver Screen and Roll, and our Rockets blog, The Dream Shake.

Chris Paul Trade Veto Has Lakers' Fan Wistful For Lockout

On Thursday, David Stern vetoed the league-owned New Orleans Hornets' trade sending Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers within hours of players and owners voting to lift the NBA lockout. That combination of events has Chris Clark from SB Nation's Silver Screen And Roll wistful for the stoppage, and wondering if another one is on the way.

David Stern made this decision because the world isn't fair. Los Angeles is a destination where most players, especially superstar players, want to play. The Lakers are a franchise steeped in successful history, and that success has created an environment that only promotes further success. The Lakers are virtually immune to the market factors that normally force sports teams to go through cycles of success and failure. They have financial resources far beyond most of the rest of the league, and unlike the Mark Cubans and Paul Allens of the world, Jerry Buss is able to utilize those resources without cutting into his bottom line. The Lakers paid more money in luxury tax than any other team last year, and yet were one of the few that reported a profit. They've been to the NBA Finals 50% of the time the Finals have been held, and they've won 25% of the league's championships. With Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant on their team, and the potential of Dwight Howard on the way, there would be no end in sight to the Lakers' period of success. David Stern had to block this trade to maintain the illusion of fairness, of competitive balance, that he and his brethren just spent 5 months carving out of the players' backs.

There's just one problem ... the owners traded away that fairness for the chance to line their pockets with a few extra billions. And on the far side of Stern's decision, I can't see how the players can continue to abide by the arrangement.

For more reaction and analysis, head over to Silver Screen And Roll.

David Stern Says Hornets Have More Value Without Vetoed Chris Paul Trade

Chris Paul was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night from his current post as the lone superstar on the New Orleans Hornets roster, but the trade was vetoed before anything actually came of it. David Stern, apparently on the behalf of fellow NBA owners, decided to cancel the trade for "basketball reasons."

Stern and the NBA public relations staff wouldn't comment any further on Thursday night, but the NBA Commissioner talked about it with representatives from Bloomberg News on Friday morning.

"The decision was taken that Chris Paul in New Orleans was more valuable than the trade that was being discussed," David Stern tells Bloomberg. "I don't want to speak on the basketball side, but that particular one was weighed against Chris Paul's continued presence in New Orleans.''

The trade would have reportedly netted the Hornets Luis Scola and Kevin Martin from the Houston Rockets along with Lamar Odom from the Lakers and a first round pick that Los Angeles had previously acquired from the New York Knicks.

Considering Paul could leave as a free agent at the end of the season without the Hornets getting anything in return, many lauded the deal as fair to middling -- but apparently it wasn't enough appease the team's ownership group of the league's 29 other NBA team owners.

Chris Paul Trade Veto Means Luis Scola Will Be At Houston Rockets' Training Camp

With the Chris Paul trade to the Los Angeles Lakers being cancelled, all of the players involved in the trade have been asked to report to their original teams when training camps begin on Friday. Lamar Odom has already indicated he is not sure he will report to Lakers camp, and reports indicate that Paul will not report to Hornets camp either. However, it does appear that one of the members involved in the trade will report.

Luis Scola, who was sent from the Houston Rockets to the New Orleans Hornets, tweeted that he will be at the Toyota Center on Friday.

I´m on my way to the Toyota Center, this is going to be fun. The good thing is that the TC it´s on the way to the airport, just in case...

It remains to be seen if the other players involved in the deal -- Pau Gasol, Goran Dragic and Kevin Martin -- will show at their respective team's facility on Friday.

For more on the Hornets, visit At the Hive. For more on the Lakers, visit SB Nation Los Angeles and Silver Screen and Roll. For more on the Rockets, visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.

Chris Paul Trade Cancelled: Does 'Basketball Reasons' Explanation Hold Up?

The NBA cancelled the Chris Paul trade to the Lakers due to "basketball reasons." Let's accept the explanation at face value for a second. Does the NBA have a point at all?

Chris Paul Trade Veto To Be Appealed By Teams Involved, According To Report

On Thursday, a would-be mega-deal involving the New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Rockets was vetoed by the NBA. Among other things, the trade would have sent Chris Paul to join the Lakers. On Friday morning, it appears that the parties involved aren't willing to accept the league's decision. ESPN's Marc Stein tweets:

CP3 Trade Latest: Sources tell ESPN com that teams involved in three-team trade blocked by David Stern appealing to NBA to reverse decision

No indication yet Stern prepared to reverse decision, but main argument is CP3 can't be dealt anywhere now if this deal doesn't go through

Of course, the three teams are appealing to the very entity that handed down the decision to begin with, so a reversal doesn't seem terribly likely. To boot, commissioner David Stern's decision was reportedly made at the behest of owners across the NBA. 

In attempting to trade Chris Paul, the Hornets are simply looking out for their own interests. But as Stein notes, if they're unable to trade Paul to the Lakers, they may be handcuffed in their efforts to deal him anywhere.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream for further updates. You can also follow along with our Hornets blog, At the Hive, our Lakers blog, Silver Screen and Roll, and our Rockets blog, The Dream Shake.

Chris Paul Trade Veto Shows Who Won The NBA Lockout: No One

The Chris Paul-to-L.A. trade veto by David Stern shows that now more than ever all the power still belongs to the NBA's superstars despite the league and owners' best efforts to take it back during the lockout.

Chris Paul Reportedly Not Expected To Attend Hornets' Training Camp, Exploring Legal Options

Chris Paul, who was traded to the L.A. Lakers on Thursday until David Stern and the NBA league office decided to veto the deal, is not expected to show up to the opening of New Orleans Hornets training camp on Friday, reports CBS Sports' Ken Berger. Paul is also said to be considering legal options in the wake of Stern's decision to prevent the trade by the league-owned Hornets.

The Hornets have just five total players under contract for the 2011-12 season, as a full complement of incumbent players will be on the free agent market. League business officially opens at 2 p.m. ET; with the odds of a Paul trade coming any time soon now dwindled -- can you imagine New Orleans GM Dell Demps presenting another option right now? -- the franchise would seem to be in flux.

It's unclear what legal options Paul would have. He does have a nice bit of leverage in himself, though; the league sold lots of season tickets in New Orleans this year, and it'd be something else if the team can't produce its star on opening day.

With Chris Paul Trade Veto, David Stern Allows NBA Owners To Become Cannibals

By vetoing the Chris Paul trade to the L.A. Lakers, David Stern has allowed his owners to feast on their own in the spirit of envy. The league is worse for it.

NBA Players React To David Stern Veto Of Chris Paul Trade As You Might Expect They Would

Chris Paul Trade Report Led Dan Gilbert To E-Mail David Stern

Yahoo! reports that Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert e-mailed NBA commissioner David Stern as news of a trade that would send star point guard Chris Paul from the league-owned New Orleans Hornets to the powerhouse L.A. Lakers broke. Stern eventually vetoed the trade, citing "basketball reasons." Gilbert's reasons to oppose the deal were of the more emotional variety.

I cannot remember ever seeing a trade where a team got by far the best player in the trade and saved over $40 million in the process. And it doesn't appear that they would give up any draft picks, which might allow to later make a trade for Dwight Howard. [...]

I just don't see how we can allow this trade to happen.

I know the vast majority of owners feel the same way that I do.

When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?

Gilbert was considered a hardliner in the NBA lockout, where competitive balance and revenue sharing were major issues of contention.

NBA Executive On Chris Paul Trade Veto: '[Expletive] This Whole Thing'

Lamar Odom Wondering What To Do Next After Failed Chris Paul Trade

Chris Paul Trade Veto Angers Lakers', Hornets' General Managers

In case you're wondering, no one in the NBA is terribly satisfied about the Chris Paul to the Lakers trade saga. After NBA commissioner David Stern reportedly vetoed the trade -- the league owns the New Orleans Hornets, who had agreed to send CP3 to L.A. for a package most observers considered strong -- Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Hornets GM Dell Demps nearly resigned his position in anger.

Hornets general manager Dell Demps is "disconsolate" over the heavy-handed move from the commissioner's office, a source told Y! Sports. Demps considered resigning his job on Thursday, league sources said, and had to be talked out of it.

The Orange County Register's Kevin Ding reported that Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak was similarly displeased with the league's decision.

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak described to me by source as "angry and mystified" by NBA. All league told Lakers was no. No explanation.

What further fall-out will come remains to be seen.

ANIMATED: David Stern Cancels Chris Paul Trade, In GIF Form

Chris Paul Trade Killed: Phil Jackson Called This A Year Ago

Chris Paul Trade To Lakers Called Off Due To 'Basketball Reasons'

The reported trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers is officially off, according to an NBA spokesman. The Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Hornets reportedly had a deal in principle to send Paul to the Lakers, Pau Gasol to the Rockets and Lamar Odom to the Hornets along with others on Thursday afternoon, but now the trade is dead. And it all goes back to the league itself.

According to reports, the league killed the deal after owners were irate over the Lakers adding Paul. The pressure reportedly caused the league to cave and eventually nix the deal. However, Tim Frank, a spokesman for the league, is denying those reports, citing "basketball reasons" for the veto.

League spokesman Tim Frank to SI.com: "Not true that owners killed the (3-team) deal. It wasn't even discussed at the Board meeting..."

Frank: "...League office declined to make the trade for basketball reasons." Statement issued to other media as well.

Quotes via Sam Amick.

What those basketball reasons are, nobody knows. At this point, though, it would appear the Hornets have been handcuffed, unable to trade Paul away after Thursday's debacle.

For more on the Hornets, visit At the Hive. For more on the Lakers, visit SB Nation Los Angeles and Silver Screen and Roll. For more on the Rockets, visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.

Chris Paul Trade Killed By League, And Los Angeles Lakers Fans Are Very Angry

As you'd probably expect, Los Angeles Lakers fans are not happy that the NBA has called off a trade that would have sent Chris Paul to their favorite team. Over at SB Nation's Lakers blog Silver Screen and Roll, Dexter Fishmore writes that this is a "deep stain" on commissioner David Stern's legacy and that it signals his time is over..

This is a deep stain on Stern's reign as commissioner. He got bullied by small-market owners into prolonging the lockout, and they just did it to him again. His stewardship of the sport is a bad joke. It's time for him to go.

I don't understand how the players' union can be OK with this. They fought a four-month lockout and lost 16 games' worth of paychecks to preserve the right of players to move between teams, including by trade. Now the commissioner is facilitating collusion among owners to block fairly negotiated deals.

The blog post ends with a pretty funny line about Lakers owner Jerry Buss. The reaction is predictable, and it's also completely understandable given the circumstances.

For more on the Hornets, visit At the Hive. For more on the Lakers, visit SB Nation Los Angeles and Silver Screen and Roll. For more on the Rockets, visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.

Chris Paul Trade Falls Apart As NBA Owners 'Irate' Over Deal, According To Report

The Chris Paul trade to the Los Angeles Lakers is dead, and the circumstances don't look good for the league, at least if this report from Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski proves to be true. According to Wojnarowski, a cluster of owners, upset that a big-market team was leveraging a small-market club to acquire Paul, pushed for NBA commissioner David Stern to kill the deal.

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. A chorus of owners were 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.

Up until this point, the NBA had allowed everyone to negotiate the trade without interfering, Wojnarowski reports. But now, under the pressure of its owners, it appears the league has stepped in. Hornets general manager Dell Demps was "disconsolate" over the news, Wojnarowski reports.

It appears the league has backed itself into a corner now. Can it really trade Paul anywhere at this point?

For more on the Hornets, visit At the Hive. For more on the Lakers, visit SB Nation Los Angeles and Silver Screen and Roll. For more on the Rockets, visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.

Chris Paul Trade Falls Apart After Pressure From NBA Owners, According To Report

And with that, the circus surrounding the Chris Paul trade appears to be over. To recap: Paul was reportedly on his way to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade that also included the Houston Rockets. Pau Gasol was reportedly headed to the Rockets, Lamar Odom was New Orleans bound and multiple other players were also set to join the Hornets. And now, it's reportedly off.

The NBA was reportedly pressured by irate owners who were standing by watching the rich get richer almost immediately after the lockout ended. Compounding matters was the NBA's ownership of the Hornets, creating an all-around messy situation. And it all reached a boiling point on Thursday night.

Now, Adrian Wojnarowski says the NBA has caved and everything has fallen apart.

The NBA has caved to pressure from owners that the appearance of this deal, on heels of lockout, had to be stopped, sources tell Y! Sports.

No word on what comes next, but CP3 just tweeted "WoW." Whether he's still dealt, perhaps to a destination other than the Lakers is unknown, but this one is going to take a while to sort out.

How u.

For more on the Hornets, visit At the Hive. For more on the Lakers, visit SB Nation Los Angeles and Silver Screen and Roll. For more on the Rockets, visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.

Chris Paul Trade Under Fire, NBA Reportedly Trying To Stop Hornets

The rumored trade that would reportedly send Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers is in jeopardy after owners voiced their complaints to the league, according to a report on Thursday night. As a result, the NBA is reportedly pressuring New Orleans Hornets general manager Dell Demps to nix the trade. The whole situation just took a turn for the weird.

The news comes from Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Owners were irate in Board of Governors meeting with Stern, livid that the league-owned Hornets were allowed to make Paul deal, sources say. 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.

Interestingly enough, our own Tom Ziller wrote about how any potential Chris Paul trade could be a nightmare for the league earlier this week. One of the points had to do with small-market teams and business as usual in the NBA.

And as soon as the NBA return to business, it's business as usual, with a small-market club being cajoled into trading its best player, its raison d'etre for the past six seasons. And not only will it be business as usual, but it will be David Stern, the man who caved on all of those deal points that the small-market owners so desperately wanted, signing off on the deal.

And so here we are, with a reported standoff between the league, the Hornets and angry owners. You didn't think a blockbuster trade involving CP3 would be so simple, did you?

For more on the Hornets, visit At the Hive. For more on the Lakers, visit SB Nation Los Angeles and Silver Screen and Roll. For more on the Rockets, visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.

Chris Paul Trade: New Orleans Receives First-Round Pick, According To Report

Chris Paul was reportedly traded from the New Orleans Hornets to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday evening in a deal that also involved the Houston Rockets. While everyone is talking about that the Lakers got out of the deal, it's the Hornets who might end up being sneaky, long-term winners in all of this.

There's still a lot of moving parts in the reported trade but it's sounding like the Hornets might end up with multiple picks in order to build their future around. Consider it a small solace to New Orleans fans as they watch their present franchise head to LA.

For more on the Hornets, visit At the Hive. For more on the Lakers, visit SB Nation Los Angeles and Silver Screen and Roll. For more on the Rockets, visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.

Chris Paul Traded To Lakers: Three Fanbases React

Chris Paul was reportedly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday evening in a deal that also involved the Houston Rockets. The trade was a blockbuster, with the Lakers sending Pau Gasol to the Rockets and Lamar Odom to the Hornets, along with other pieces from Houston heading to New Orleans. Naturally, the trade drew plenty of reaction, from jubilation to confusion to anger, in some cases.

Quickly checking in with our New Orleans Hornets blog, and I do mean quickly.

I... I don't... I have no words, guys. I'm sorry.

Fans of other teams are dropping by to apologize to the Hornets. Having been on this side of a trade before, it's a bad sign when neutral parties are taking pity.

Meanwhile, Lakers fans are discussing important questions at Silver Screen and Roll.

sooooooo

what happens to fish?

The real important question Lakers fans are pondering has to do with what comes next for the front court. Many are wondering if Dwight Howard is the other shoe to drop, and if he's not, they're worried.

One Houston Rockets fan, commenting over at The Dream Shake, placed his tin foil hat squarely on his head.

The NBA owns the Hornets

The NBA wants the Lakers to be back in the finals. The Hornets make a deal that helps the Lakers. Everyone is shocked.

Houston fans are dissecting the madness right over here.

For more on the Hornets, visit At the Hive. For more on the Lakers, visit SB Nation Los Angeles and Silver Screen and Roll. For more on the Rockets, visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.

Chris Paul Trade: Houston Rockets May Receive Draft Picks, Pau Gasol

There's still a lot of moving parts in the reported trade that will send Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers, and the pieces are continuing to come together. As it stands now, the deal will reportedly send Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol to the Houston Rockets, and Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and Lamar Odom to the New Orleans Hornets. Paul is clearly the centerpiece, with Gasol also playing a big role.

But in addition to Gasol, the Rockets are also likely to get draft picks, plural, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.

It is likely that the Hornets will receive draft picks as part of a package for Paul, but source says: "Those are still being determined."

We'll be back with more on the reported blockbuster trade as it becomes available.

For more on the Hornets, visit At the Hive. For more on the Lakers, visit SB Nation Los Angeles and Silver Screen and Roll. For more on the Rockets, visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.

Chris Paul Trade Reportedly A Three-Team Deal Involving Houston Rockets

And here come the Houston Rockets! After reports on Thursday morning indicated the Rockets may be the third team in a potential trade package that would send Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers, it appeared the Hornets and Lakers were prepared to go it alone. But now, the Rockets are reportedly back in the "done" deal that will send Paul to Los Angeles for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the trade package sends players every which way and is as follows.

Hornets working to finalize details on 3-team deal to send Chris Paul to Lakers, Gasol to Rockets and Odom, KMart, Scola to NO, sources say.

So, the centerpieces of the deal appear to be Paul and Gasol, who are headed to the Lakers and Rockets, respectively. New Orleans will, essentially, get back Odom, Kevin Marin and Luis Scola in return, cashing in on assets with both Houston and Los Angeles.

For more on the Hornets, visit At the Hive. For more on the Lakers, visit SB Nation Los Angeles and Silver Screen and Roll.

Chris Paul Trade To Los Angeles Lakers 'Done', According To Report

The rumored Chris Paul trade is "done," according to a report on Thursday afternoon. Within the last hour, reports emerged indicating the New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers were close to a deal, and that New Orleans had begun informing teams Paul was on his way out. The deal will reportedly send Paul to Los Angeles for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom.

According to CBS' Ken Berger, the deal is complete.

Chris Paul to the Lakers is "done," league executive briefed on the deal tells @CBSSports.@WojYahooNBA says it's for Bynum and Odom.

However, Wojnarowski clarified moments ago, saying the deal was for Gasol and Odom.

The deal is the first blockbuster in what's sure to be a wild free agency period. In trading Odom and Gasol, if the reports are correct, Los Angeles has kept pieces around to continue to maneuver, perhaps for Dwight Howard.

For more on the Hornets, visit At the Hive. For more on the Lakers, visit SB Nation Los Angeles and Silver Screen and Roll.

Chris Paul Trade Rumors: Hornets, Lakers Closing In On Deal

The New Orleans Hornets are near a deal that would send Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers for Andrew Bynum Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, according to a report on Thursday. Trade talks involving Paul have heated up ahead of the NBA free agency period, and it appears this may actually be happening.

According to Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Hornets appear to be in the final stages of a deal. So close, in fact, that New Orleans is reportedly telling teams it's done.

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.

Woj later corrected himself, saying it was Gasol, not Bynum, in the rumored deal.

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

Earlier, the Hornets and Lakers were reportedly searching for a third team, perhaps the Houston Rockets, to bring into any potential trade scenarios. But now, it appears the Lakers and Hornets are set to go it alone in what has to be one of the bigger blockbusters in a while.

For more on the Hornets, visit At the Hive. For more on the Lakers, visit SB Nation Los Angeles and Silver Screen and Roll.

Chris Paul To Lakers Rumors Heat Up, Three-Team Deal Discussed, According To Report

The latest Chris Paul trade rumor involves the Los Angeles Lakers, and this time, it doesn't involve prized Lakers center Andrew Bynum. The Lakers are discussing a three-team trade with the New Orleans Hornets and Houston Rockets that would send Paul to the Lakers, Pau Gasol to the Rockets and likely a bunch of young pieces to New Orleans, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.

The Lakers would do this and then potentially offer Bynum to the Orlando Magic in a package for Dwight Howard, uniting Howard, Paul and Kobe Bryant, according to Mannix. The Hornets do not have much interest in the 31-year old Gasol, according to Mannix, and are trying to find a third team to deal him to for younger pieces. The Rockets were after Denver Nuggets center Nene, but have interest in Gasol, according to Mannix.

It remains unclear exactly what young pieces would head back to the Hornets in such a scenario.

For more on the Hornets, visit At the Hive. For more on the Lakers, visit SB Nation Los Angeles and Silver Screen and Roll. For more on the Rockets, visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.

Chris Paul Trade Rumors: Boston Celtics Emerging As Potential Leader In Sweepstakes, According To Report

With the reluctance of the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors to include their prized young talent in a deal for Chris Paul, the Boston Celtics may be back in the lead for Paul's services, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Celtics' offer is centered around point guard Rajon Rondo, and that offer is becoming more enticing since the Clippers and Warriors seem reluctant to deal Eric Gordon and Stephen Curry, respectively.

The Celtics' offer currently centers around Rondo, but includes other parts, Wojnarowski reports.

The Celtics have relentlessly pursued Paul and have presented the Hornets with as many as eight different scenarios that would bring them some combination of Rondo, Jeff Green, two future No. 1 picks and additional talent from third teams, sources said.

The Celtics have also tried to recruit a third team, with the Indiana Pacers being the one most recently discussed. As Ken Berger of CBS Sports notes, the presence of Green may be problematic, since he can veto a trade if he accepts the Celtics' qualifying offer instead of negotiating a new contract.

For more on the Celtics, visit Celtics Blog and SB Nation Boston. For more on the Hornets, visit At the Hive.

Chris Paul Trade Rumors: Eric Gordon Not In Clippers Trade Package, According To Report

We might be able to cross Eric Gordon off the list of players dangling as trade bait in an effort to secure Chris Paul. According to a report on Wednesday, Gordon has been told he is not in the Los Angeles Clippers' proposal to the Hornets for Paul.

The report comes from Adrian Wojnarowski. It's the second report of a player whose name is not in a proposal for Paul, though nobody is quite sure what packages include which players.

Clippers management has assured Eric Gordon that he will not be included in any trade package for Chris Paul, league source tells Y!

Earlier, Stephen Curry's name was eliminated from the Warriors proposal for Paul. At this point, it's a process of elimination expedition to figure out who could be going where, in the event the Hornets find a proposal they like.

For more on the Hornets, head over to At the Hive.. For more NBA free agency rumors, visit that StoryStream. For a complete NBA free agency preview, visit this StoryStream.

Chris Paul Trade Rumors: Stephen Curry Not In Warriors' Trade Package, According To Report

As of right now, the Golden State Warriors do not plan to part with young point guard Stephen Curry in a trade offer for Chris Paul, according to ESPN's Marc Stein. That means that trade talks between the two sides are "cooling" at this time.

The refusal to include Curry, a third-year guard that is arguably the Warriors' top trade asset, may stem from the reluctance of Paul to sign a long-term extension with the Warriors. Paul has reportedly indicated that teams who go after good friend Tyson Chandler stand a better chance of keeping him, but with the new CBA rules in place, it's far more lucrative for him to wait until after the 2012 season to sign a new deal with whomever he plays with this season.

The news contradicts an earlier report that suggested the Warriors were willing to part with Curry, Ekpe Udoh and Klay Thompson in order to land Paul.

For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive. For more on the Warriors, visit Golden State of Mind and SB Nation Bay Area.

Is Chris Paul Trade Worth Risk For Warriors, Clippers?

If the Golden State Warriors or L.A. Clippers trade young studs for Chris Paul, they'll have no guarantee he will re-sign next summer. Given that, isn't the risk of losing it all too much to bear? Plus: the spinning Lakers get desperate.

Chris Paul Trade Offer From Warriors Reportedly Includes Stephen Curry, Two Recent Picks

The Golden State Warriors are one of three teams now at the center of Chris Paul trade rumors, as multiple reporters led by Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski listed the W's, Boston Celtics and L.A. Clippers as the clubs in serious talks with the New Orleans Hornets for the services of the All-Star point guard. SI.com's Sam Amick reports that for the Warriors' part, the team's three most recent lottery picks have been included in the offer for CP3.

Those picks would be stud guard Stephen Curry, defensive big man Ekpe Udoh and 2011 pick Klay Thompson. Udoh showed promise late last season after starting his rookie campaign injured, and Thompson enters a league coveted athletic wing. Curry, of course, is one of the league's hottest young guards, a killer sharpshooter who has erased questions about his point guard abilities in short order.

Amick also reports that the Warriors would need to waive Andris Biedrins and sign coveted free agent center Tyson Chandler -- a close friend of CP3's -- to have a reasonable belief that Paul could be retained beyond the 2011-12 season.

For more on the Warriors, visit Golden State Of Mind and SB Nation Bay Area.

Chris Paul Trade Talks Reel In Clippers, Celtics And Warriors, According To Report

The New Orleans Hornets are seriously engaged in Chris Paul trade talks with three teams, reports Yahoo!'s ace Adrian Wojnarowski: the L.A. Clippers, Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors.

The parameters of any such deals aren't remotely clear, though John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tweeted early Tuesday that "good offers" were coming in for the All-Star point guard. One would imagine that guards like Rajon Rondo, Stephen Curry and Eric Gordon could be in play for New Orleans.

CP3 had reportedly informed the Hornets in recent days that he had no intention of signing a contract extension, and that if he were traded he'd like to go to the New York Knicks. It has been reported that Paul would like to join his friends Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony in the Big Apple; if he is traded to New York before the in-season deadline, he'd be eligible for a larger contract as a 2012 free agent. But Wojnarowski reports that if the Warriors or Clippers sign free agent Tyson Chandler, he could change his mind on staying long-term. Paul and Chandler had previously played together in New Orleans.

If CP3 won't agree to an extension with one of New Orleans' preferred trade partners, it's unclear whether those teams will offer enough to pull the point guard. Stay tuned.

For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive.

Chris Paul Trade An Impossible Nightmare For David Stern, NBA

As Chris Paul trade rumors reach a fever pitch, David Stern's problem gets bigger and bigger. If the NBA-owned Hornets deal CP3 to a major market, how can Stern keep a straight face when talking to small-market owners about competitive balance?

Chris Paul Trade Rumors Could Be Resolved By Hornets' Opener, Says Report

Trade rumors circling around New Orleans Hornets star Chris Paul, who can become a free agent in 2012, could be resolved before the team's opener as the franchise's management seeks to avoid a repeat of the months-long Carmelo Anthony drama, report Chris Broussard and Marc Stein of ESPN.

ESPN reports that Paul met with New Orleans GM Dell Demps on Monday, where the All-Star reportedly continued to decline an offered extension, instead opting to hit free agency in July 2012. CP3, a six-year veteran, has never been a free agent.

The situation is complicated by the fact that the Hornets are owned by the league and overseen by a president, Jac Sperling, who was appointed by NBA commissioner David Stern.

ESPN reports that in addition to the L.A. Lakers, the Golden State Warriors, L.A. Clippers, Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks have expressed interest in making a CP3 deal happen. But it's unclear what if any assets those teams will relinquish without an assurance that Paul will sign a new deal in the offseason or agree to an extension upon being traded.

For more on the Hornets, visit SB Nation's At The Hive.

Chris Paul To The Lakers? It's Possible, Says One Report

Chris Paul has been at the center of trade rumors since the day the NBA lockout ended, but most of those rumors have centered in New York City. Monday's news takes us cross-country, as one report has the Lakers getting involved in the CP3 sweepstakes.

Here's Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski adding a twist to the story:

The Lakers and Hornets talked several days ago, league sources told Yahoo! Sports, but it was one of those circuitous conversations that left the sides unclear what it would take to get a deal done, and the talk ended with no formal offers. The Lakers and Hornets expect to speak again this week, sources said. The prospect of Pau Gasol as the primary player going to the Hornets won’t be acceptable, sources said. The Lakers will ultimately be willing to let New Orleans pick its player in the deal – Bynum or Gasol – but New Orleans is determined to get quality, and quantity, in a deal.

The question, of course, is whether Chris Paul would be willing to sign an extension in L.A. The assumption is that Chris Paul wants to play in a major market for a championship contender, but Kobe Bryant's not getting any younger, and especially if the Lakers give up Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol in a trade, it's an open question as to how long they'll qualify as true contenders. One thing's for certain, though: Chris Paul could certainly help the cause.

Chris Paul Wants Trade To New York Knicks, According To Report

Chris Paul wants to be traded to the Knicks, according to a Yahoo! Sports report on Thursday. This week, he informed the New Orleans Hornets that he won't sign an extension now or next summer. Now it's up to New Orleans to trade him.