Sterling Nixes Trade to Get Rid of Randolph?

[StartOrien]

"The Grizzlies and Clippers agreed in principle to a trade involving Zach Randolph, but Los Angeles owner Donald Sterling nixed the deal.

During Thursday night's NBA Draft, the two clubs worked out a deal centered around Randolph and Darko Milicic. Memphis guard Greg Buckner would have also been part of the trade."

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/60123/20090627/sources_sterling_nixed_randolph_swap_with_griz/

How dumb is this guy? You're in LA, and someone's willing to take on an "untradeable" contract which will allow you to cut salary down for the biggest summer for free agency ever, and you turn it down?!

[pearljammer10]

Haha. Putting it that way sounds silly. However, Randolph is a good player that gets a very bad wrap...Yes, he is a knucklehead but when he wants to play he plays well. I think maybe this means that they have a deal lined up for Kaman or Camby...

When i first read the rumor my first thought was Randolph and other for the number two...Making the clippers pick 1 and 2 in the draft.... Would have been interesting.

[PosImpos]

Haha. Putting it that way sounds silly. However, Randolph is a good player that gets a very bad wrap...Yes, he is a knucklehead but when he wants to play he plays well. I think maybe this means that they have a deal lined up for Kaman or Camby...

When i first read the rumor my first thought was Randolph and other for the number two...Making the clippers pick 1 and 2 in the draft.... Would have been interesting.

That would have been nuts... trade away one of the worst team-players in basketball to get the 2nd pick to go along with the 1st pick.  They could have gotten Rubio and had two potential stars to go with al thornton, chris kaman, and eric gordon.

[timepiece33]

Buckner's contract is bad and has two more years on it, but the Clipps should have done that deal and flipped Darko for Richardson.  It opens up time for Blake Griffin.  They could still get this deal done and make it work.   

[cornbreadsmart]

as bad as the clippers are, the higher ups make it really hard to feel bad for them. hats off to people  in l.a. who still root for these guys over the lakers. seriously, that is pretty [dang] cool.

[Moranis]

Randolph is significantly better than Darko and for once the Clippers made a move that actually costs them money.  Perhaps that is a sign that things are changing.

[StartOrien]

Randolph is significantly better than Darko and for once the Clippers made a move that actually costs them money.  Perhaps that is a sign that things are changing.

But its a poor use of money. Yes, Randolph is better than Darko, Darko's parents wouldn't disagree at this point. But you're talking about freeing up some serious cap to attract stars to your team.

There's NO WAY that Randolph's impact would be greater than the impact that cap space could create. And Buckner's contract is bad, but its Scalabrine bad, 5 mil a year for two more years.

[timepiece33]

Randolph is significantly better than Darko and for once the Clippers made a move that actually costs them money.  Perhaps that is a sign that things are changing.

But its a poor use of money. Yes, Randolph is better than Darko, Darko's parents wouldn't disagree at this point. But you're talking about freeing up some serious cap to attract stars to your team.

There's NO WAY that Randolph's impact would be greater than the impact that cap space could create. And Buckner's contract is bad, but its Scalabrine bad, 5 mil a year for two more years.

Buckner is replaceable by a minimum type salary and he makes $4MM a year.  Taking that salary into consideration makes Randolph less of an issue if you are going to keep him.   

[Moranis]

I heard a rumor that Memphis wanted to send Jaric (not Buckner) back to the Clippers and Sterling said something along the line of "I'm not paying that f***er another dime".  Something I heard, I have no legitimate source, but that would be funny if true.