Am I the only one who thinks this is a terrible deal for the Hornets?
Eric Gordon is no better than Ben Gordon. I think Ben Gordon is actually the better player.
Kevin Martin is better than both of them.
Odom plus Scola makes the Hornets a playoff team.
The new Hornets owners would be reaping in playoff money in Year One. I do not understand how "bright" a future is with years and years of missing the playoffs and stinking?
That Minny pick, whoever it turns out to be is going to also "enjoy" season after season of losing.
I really don't see a lot of New Orleans fans consistently buying season tickets to watch that mess.
As far as "on the basketball court" goes, the Laker trade was far better than the Clippers trade.
When you trade your franchise player away, you SHOULD be in the lottery, but the Hornets were going to trade their franchise player away and (great chance to) STILL remain a playoff team.
That should be applauded as genius, not vetoed.
Boggles my mind.
the Lakers / Rockets trade would have just made the Hornets another perpetual borderline playoff team for the next 3-4 years. paying lots of money for a team but not getting a lot of wins, without any true stars.
with this trade, the hornets have a lot less money tied up in players long term, and with the right moves they could become a lot better than just a borderline playoff team within a few years.
the important thing to remember here is that the hornets need to be sold to an owner. an owner is going to want to buy a team that has a lot of potential to be shaped as the owner sees fit.
a prospective buyer won't be as interested in a team that is locked in to a certain roster and a certain fate for the near future, especially one with very little chance of acquiring a truly marketable franchise superstar any time soon.
you see the difference blake griffin made to the clippers last year? the difference durant made to the sonics / thunder? the difference rose has made to the bulls? getting a franchise superstar instantly makes your team relevant and interesting to fans in general, not just fans in your local market.
that's why a prospective owner would rather get a team with a weak roster that has the chance to draft high and get such a star than a team full of middle of the road talent.