So can we get CP3 now? Can teams still make pitches?

[chambers]

So the NBA won't let this scenario go through.
What about us still going after CP3?

I don't buy that crap that he thought the Celtics were too old to be interested in resigning- the Lakers are just as old as us.

Can we still make a pitch? We'd have to be number one in line.
This could turn out to be one of the great Laker upsets/Celtics victories of all time.

Please let it be possible. NBA wouldn't turn down Rondo for Paul. It's an even trade with Green and fillers.

[RJ87]

As I said on the front page post:

If the NBA vetoed a Lakers trade just to send that player to the Boston Celtics, it'd be a public relations nightmare.

[PosImpos]

As I said on the front page post:

If the NBA vetoed a Lakers trade just to send that player to the Boston Celtics, it'd be a public relations nightmare.

it already is a public relations nightmare.


chris paul isn't going anywhere for a while.

[LarBrd33]

My first thought was that the NBA had "intervened" and prevented the trade for "fairness".  That's no longer my impression.  It seems highly inaccurate and the media is dropping the ball on this intentionally to create controversy.  I'm slightly annoyed.

Reality of the situation seems to be:  Demps is the GM and he found a trade he liked.  It immediately leaked to the media before Demps could get approval on the trade from his ownership group.  Since the NBA owns the Hornets, his "ownership group" is the NBA.  His "ownership group" declined the trade ... and I assume it's because they want to sell the team ... taking on 73+ million in salary hurts the value of the franchise they are trying to sell... so they rejected it.  End of story.  It would be like Ainge accepting a trade of Rondo for Scola, Odom and Martin... then presenting it to Wyc Groesbeck only to find out that Groesbeck wasn't willing to take on that kind of salary.  But in this instance Groesbeck = "The NBA".

So ... I assume teams can still make pitches for CP3, Demps can still accept pitches... but it will still need to be presented to his ownership group (The NBA) for approval.   So... when you put this all together it starts to make sense why "the hornets" were so interested in picking up Stephen Curry or Eric Gordon... both are on their rookie contracts, are legit talents and don't cost that much money.    It also makes sense why the Hornets had no interest in Rondo's long term deal + Jeff Green and were pushing for the Celtics to get a 3rd team involved.   I assume any trade they eventually accept, will be taking back little salary (or dumping Okafor's contract), young talent on rookie contracts and draft picks.  It makes the Hornets more attractive to sell when they don't owe a bunch of money to players who aren't going to fill seats in the first place.

The problem is... the MEDIA is screwing this up big time.  And because of their mistake, it makes it look like the NBA "intervened" to the casual audience.  So if tomorrow the Hornets traded CP3 to ANY team other than the Lakers, it's going to cause a major backlash... all due to the media's ball-dropping and inaccurate reporting.

[Kiorrik]

1) Would you like a player that doesn't want to play for us?
2) What good would an unhappy CP3 do for us?
3) Any team that gets Paul now, will have a "blemish" for being a "league favourite".

I'd rather he goes elsewhere, and we absolutely and utterly destroy the league this season (ending in banner number 18) with our current squad. ... well, after we fill the roster that is.

[Carhole]

1) Would you like a player that doesn't want to play for us?
2) What good would an unhappy CP3 do for us?
3) Any team that gets Paul now, will have a "blemish" for being a "league favourite".

I'd rather he goes elsewhere, and we absolutely and utterly destroy the league this season (ending in banner number 18) with our current squad. ... well, after we fill the roster that is.

You think you are going to get a "happy" rondo that "wants" to play for us now?

Half the league thinks the Celtics are favored anyway with the other half sure we are unfairly targeted who cares.

I love my celtics, but this team as currently constituted is not throttling the league and hosting banner 18. If you believe that to be a reality you are going to be sorely disappointed this year

[Kiorrik]

1) Would you like a player that doesn't want to play for us?
2) What good would an unhappy CP3 do for us?
3) Any team that gets Paul now, will have a "blemish" for being a "league favourite".

I'd rather he goes elsewhere, and we absolutely and utterly destroy the league this season (ending in banner number 18) with our current squad. ... well, after we fill the roster that is.

You think you are going to get a "happy" rondo that "wants" to play for us now?

Half the league thinks the Celtics are favored anyway with the other half sure we are unfairly targeted who cares.

I love my celtics, but this team as currently constituted is not throttling the league and hosting banner 18. If you believe that to be a reality you are going to be sorely disappointed this year

Fair enough, perhaps I should take off the green goggles.

[Lucky17]

Wojo addresses this in his latest piece on the nixed deal:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=At_MCea0tR2fjoZ6_q4Uws28vLYF?slug=aw-wojnarowski_chris_paul_lakers_hornets_nba_120811

As one rival executive with strong ties to the league office said, “Stern cared about two things: Selling that franchise for the best possible price; and showing the players that they weren’t going to dictate where teams could trade them. But now, there’s no way that the league can allow Chris Paul to be traded at all, otherwise Stern is basically deciding where one of the top players in the league is going versus having any fair process.”

More:

Officials from New Orleans, Houston and Los Angeles were stunned Thursday night. The killed trade had ripple affects everywhere in free agency and potential trades, and literally pushed the market into paralysis on the even of training camps opening up.

“We were all told by the league he was a trade-able player, and now they’re saying that Dell doesn’t have the authority to make the trade?” said an NBA executive who had periodic talks with New Orleans throughout the process. “Now, they’re saying that Dell is an idiot, that he can’t do it his job. [Expletive] this whole thing. David’s drunk on power, and he doesn’t give a [expletive] about the players, and he doesn’t give a [expletive] about the hundreds of hours the teams put into make that deal.

“How do the Lakers explain this to Odom? How does Houston deal with the guys it just tried to trade? Scola and Martin are going to be p---ed at them, and who knows how long that takes to get over? Explain to me how the league kills this Pau Gasol deal, but allows Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol?

“To me, this makes the league feel like it’s rigged, that Stern just does whatever Stern wants to do. He’s messed up the competitive balance of this league a lot worse by killing the deal, because you’ve completely destroyed the planning that New Orleans, Houston did and left them in shambles over this. I’ve never been so discouraged about this league, never so down.

“I mean, come on: Chris Paul is leaving New Orleans in 66 games. He’s gone. And what’s Dell Demps, and that franchise, going to have to show for it?”

[LooseCannon]

Wojo addresses this in his latest piece on the nixed deal:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=At_MCea0tR2fjoZ6_q4Uws28vLYF?slug=aw-wojnarowski_chris_paul_lakers_hornets_nba_120811

From the article:

Demps considered resigning his job on Thursday, league sources said, and had to be talked out of it.

I wonder what would have been the reaction if NO GM Demps had not been talked out of it.

[LarBrd33]

Explain to me how the league kills this Pau Gasol deal, but allows Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol?

When the "anonymous source" says that they already lose my respect.  The league didn't own the Grizzlies.  The league DOES OWN the Hornets.  That's your explanation

Sounds like Demps didn't get pre-approval on the trade and didn't pay attention to what the league wants from a Chris Paul trade... they want to minimize salary... not take on 73+ million

[jdz101]

dont want him

[Corey]

If he gets traded, it wont be until the pseudo all-star break. No chance he gets moved right now.

[BballTim]

Explain to me how the league kills this Pau Gasol deal, but allows Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol?

When the "anonymous source" says that they already lose my respect.  The league didn't own the Grizzlies.  The league DOES OWN the Hornets.  That's your explanation

Sounds like Demps didn't get pre-approval on the trade and didn't pay attention to what the league wants from a Chris Paul trade... they want to minimize salary... not take on 73+ million

  Did they tell him what they want though? They might have been a little smarter and told him what they expected from the trade before the process began, not after it ended.

[bruinsandceltics]

If he gets traded, it wont be until the pseudo all-star break. No chance he gets moved right now.

Yeah and you think anyone is going to pay much for a 30 game rental?

You think the Celtics are going to give up Rondo in the middle of their last title run?

Nope. I like the league's call but they may have just screwed NOH for the long run.

[PosImpos]

Explain to me how the league kills this Pau Gasol deal, but allows Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol?

When the "anonymous source" says that they already lose my respect.  The league didn't own the Grizzlies.  The league DOES OWN the Hornets.  That's your explanation

Sounds like Demps didn't get pre-approval on the trade and didn't pay attention to what the league wants from a Chris Paul trade... they want to minimize salary... not take on 73+ million

there really does seem to have been a colossal amount of miscommunication here.  based on the deal, you'd think the hornets were trying to make the trade that would make them as competitive as possible right now.  it made sense, more or less, from that standpoint.  it made hardly any sense as a move to rebuild or make the team financially appealing to potential buyers.

it seems like demps was not aware what his priorities in making a deal should have been.