Los Angeles Clippers get Chris Paul
Chris Paul is on his way to Hollywood, joining the biggest collection of N.B.A. stars in a single arena, and creating a true basketball rivalry in Los Angeles for the first time.
The Clippers (long overshadowed by the Lakers) acquired Paul from the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night, ending a twisting, contentious chapter in league history.
Paul, an elite point guard, will be joining Blake Griffin, one of the league’s most electrifying players. The pairing rivals the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in star power and could eventually overtake them. Paul is just 26, while Griffin (the reigning rookie of the year and slam-dunk champion) is 22.
The intrigue comes with asterisks and anger.
The Clippers completed the blockbuster deal only six nights after Commissioner David Stern (acting as the Hornets’ de facto owner) rejected a three-team deal that would have sent Paul to the Lakers. The decision was quickly denounced by team officials around the league, who considered it improper for Stern to dictate where a player would land.
Stern, in a conference call Wednesday night, conceded the awkward position created by the league’s ownership of the Hornets. But he defended his veto of the Lakers deal and said the trade sending Paul to the Clippers “is a very good transaction and better for the future of the Hornets” than “the transaction on which I did not sign off.”
The Clippers are sending the Hornets four of their best assets – shooting guard Eric Gordon, who turns 23 this month; a 2012 first-round draft pick that belonged to the Minnesota Timberwolves; the promising young forward Al-Farouq Aminu; and center Chris Kaman, whose expiring contract will help the Hornets lower their payroll.
Chris Paul.
The league-owned New Orleans Hornets were asking for too much in exchange for All-Star point guard Chris Paul for a deal to happen with the Los Angeles Clippers, and L.A. backed out of a potential trade Monday. But the Southern California team is still hoping the two sides can find a way to match up for an exchange, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc J. Spears.
Sources tell Yahoo! that “Clippers officials and NBA executives representing the Hornets have continued to have conversations, but the tone and substance of the talks has dramatically changed with L.A.’s addition of point guard Chauncey Billups.” The Clippers are saying that Paul’s market has gotten smaller in the last few days and the league needs to adjust its demands accordingly.
“They’re scrambling now” – one official told Yahoo! “But it’s still hard to tell if they really want to trade him, or they’re just determined to keep the asking price in a place where they can hold on to him for the next owner. …These guys in New York had no idea how hard this process would be.”
Two seasons ago, a group of Los Angeles Clippers fans rallied outside the Staples Center in hopes of their team acquiring then-free agent LeBron James.
“What do we want? LeBron James” – they chanted before a Los Angeles Lakers playoff game. “When do we want him? Right now.”
Wednesday night, the Clippers finally one-upped their Staples Center rival and got the next best thing available: Chris Paul.
The Clippers sent shooting guard Eric Gordon, center Chris Kaman, small forward Al-Farouq Aminu and their unprotected 2012 first-round draft pick to the New Orleans Hornets for Paul and a pair of 2015 second-round picks. The 2012 pick, tied to the performance of the Minnesota Timberwolves, could become the No. 1 overall selection.
The Clippers initially backed off including Gordon (22,3 points a game) and the unprotected draft pick in the deal earlier in the week. But with the Lakers possibly re-entering the picture to court Paul, the Clippers relented.
A three-team deal that would have sent Paul to the Lakers was rejected last week by the NBA, which is operating the Hornets until a buyer can be found to keep the team in New Orleans.
Late Wednesday in a conference call, NBA Commissioner David Stern made his first public comments since nixing the Lakers trade, saying: “I knew that we were doing the best thing for New Orleans. That was my job.”
Stern lauded the Clippers deal. “The future of the Hornets is looking better today than it ever has before” – he said.
Paul, who will make 16,3 million dollars this season, becomes the franchise’s most significant free agent acquisition since relocating to Los Angeles in 1984. He was expected to sign an extension with the Clippers, who would own his Bird rights — which allow a team to sign its own free agents for more money and years than other teams. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, Paul can sign a five-year extension with the Clippers for $100.2 million. If Paul waited to become a free agent at the end of the 2011-12 season, the maximum he could command from another team is 74 million dollars for four years.