CP3 deal to LA dead/Trade Rumors merged Super Thead

[Roy H.]

I'm gonna laugh if the "reworked" deal is just something like the Lakers taking back Okafor's contract.  Yeah, it hurts them financially, but makes them a stronger team.  

Dunno, if they end up shipping both Bynum and Odom and take Okafor in exchange, it's pretty much a wash in the short run.

Also, it may explain why the Hornets are looking to add a stop-gap solution at C on the cheap in JO.

Yeah, this is my prediction.  The "reworked" trade is going to make the Lakers better, and the Hornets worse.  And the NBA is going to sign off on it.

[PosImpos]

I'm gonna laugh if the "reworked" deal is just something like the Lakers taking back Okafor's contract.  Yeah, it hurts them financially, but makes them a stronger team. 

My thoughts exactly.

yeah.  that would be most unpleasant.  although it's not like okafor and bynum is nearly as imposing offensively as gasol / odom / bynum.  no shooting at all.

[barefacedmonk]

Well, its seems like Celtics and Hornets are still working on David West deal...could very well be a part of this CP3 trade.

[Roy H.]

Steve Kyler: Expect Lakers Devin Ebank and Derrick Caracter to be packed into Paul deal with Emeka Okafor heading to the Lakers.

Shocker.  That makes it a better trade. 

Did the Hornets even gauge Okafor's value around the league, to see if they could dump him for less salary?

And also, if you're moving Okafor, what's the sense in bringing back aging guys like Scola, Odom, etc.? 

[The Walker Wiggle]

Wojnarowski:

The primary work on deal has been between Lakers and Hornets sides, sources say. Rockets still get Gasol, still move same parts. Odom to NO.

Uh oh. Okafor for Devin Ebanks?

Called it. What a debacle.

[PosImpos]

Steve Kyler: Expect Lakers Devin Ebank and Derrick Caracter to be packed into Paul deal with Emeka Okafor heading to the Lakers.

Shocker.  That makes it a better trade. 

Did the Hornets even gauge Okafor's value around the league, to see if they could dump him for less salary?

And also, if you're moving Okafor, what's the sense in bringing back aging guys like Scola, Odom, etc.? 

yeah, this deal seems really stupid for a team looking to rebuild and great for the lakers.  don't give up bynum and get back a quality big man along with chris paul.

also don't see why houston is giving up so many assets just to get gasol.  would make sense if gasol were a few years younger.  gasol is not a good #1 guy, which he would be in houston.  he's not dirk nowitzki.

so far it sounds like the deal that they've proposed is worse in many respects than the original one, even if lakers are taking back more salary and giving up some of their younger guys (caracter and ebanks?  so what?).  making the lakers give up picks and young guys is meaningless since the lakers hardly ever cultivate talent via picks anyway.  it's all free agency and trades with them.

[Roy H.]

If you are a #celtics fan, you should root for the CP3 trade to go throught because I'm hearing that's what holding up the David West trade

-Gary Washburn

[barefacedmonk]

What the ?!?! More reasons to veto this than the last one. What crap!!

[kozlodoev]

And also, if you're moving Okafor, what's the sense in bringing back aging guys like Scola, Odom, etc.? 

One less bad contract for a player that's nothing special?

Odom's contract is not as bad as Scola's or Okafor's by the way, he's 1+1 with a team option for the second.

[Roy H.]

So let's see if this makes sense.

Hornets clear Okafor's 3 years, $41 million, only to take back Scola's 3 years, $28 million.  As players, they're probably a wash.

I think it's fair to break this deal down as Chris Paul for Kevin Martin (2 years, $24 million) + NYK #1 + Odom (expiring) + $13 million + crappy young guys.

As a "basketball trade", how does that make more sense

[kozlodoev]

Also, can someone please explain how the salaries will match in this framework? Ebanks and Caracter make virtually nothing.

[barefacedmonk]

Ebanks + Caracter = Basketball reason = we'll take any scrub you'll toss our way.

[Roy H.]

Also, can someone please explain how the salaries will match in this framework? Ebanks and Caracter make virtually nothing.

I think previously, the Lakers were saving a ton of money, so there was actually something like an $11 million gap in the Lakers favor.  This time, with Okafor added, salaries will be much closer.

I haven't actually done the math, but those were initial reports.

[PosImpos]

All the people who talked about how the original trade made the Hornets better were totally missing the point.

If you're a team trading away your franchise player, you're going to be entering rebuilding as soon as that guy goes.  If you're a rebuilding team, you don't want to make moves that make you better right now.  You want to make moves that make you much worse right now and much better two years from now.

Getting rid of Okafor is important for the Hornets because he's not much good for a rebuilding team and he just ties up their cap space.  Getting rid of Ariza is equally important.  But it doesn't make sense to me to take on Scola, Martin, and Odom in the process of getting rid of Okafor.  

It frees up cap space a year or two from now, sure, but not in the short term.  And in the short term you're still a middle of the road team that won't be getting any top 10 picks.  Getting picks from the Lakers and the Hornets shouldn't mean much, since those picks are not going to be lottery picks.  Houston picks will probably be in the mid to late teens, and the Laker picks will be late 20's.  This isn't the NFL.  You don't rebuild with middle to late first round picks.

[Fafnir]

What the ?!?! More reasons to veto this than the last one. What crap!!

Yeah you'd think they'd at least throw in a pick from the Lakers.

Oh well, I wasn't a fan of the veto decision in the first place. This doesn't change things all that much really.