The NBA, owners of the New Orleans Hornets, refused Thursday to approve a three-team trade that would have sent Hornets All-Star guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“It’s not true that the owners killed the deal, the deal was never discussed at the Board of Governors meeting and the league office declined to make the trade for basketball reasons,” league spokesman Mike Bass said.
Yahoo Sports reported that NBA Commissioner David Stern killed the trade after several owners complained. Citing anonymous sources, Yahoo reported Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was one of the most vocal owners upset about the deal, done the same day as the end of the lockout, which was supposed to restore competitive balance in the league. Hmmm….
The proposed deal would have sent Lamar Odom from the Lakers to New Orleans and four-time All-Star Pau Gasol from the Lakers to Houston.
After it fell through, Paul simply wrote, “WoW,” on his Twitter page. The NBA’s decision sets up an awfully awkward Friday. If the Hornets are unable to figure out a trade for Paul, he would be able to opt out of his current contract after the upcoming season.
A person familiar with the negotiations said that Paul will report to the Hornets on Friday. And Gasol and Odom were expected to report to the Lakers’ first day of training camp under new coach Mike Brown.
Odom, too, took to Twitter to share his feelings: “When a team trades u and it doesn’t go down? Now what?” Owners and players ratified a new collective bargaining agreement Thursday, the final step to ending the five-month lockout and allowing training camps and free agency to open Friday.
Paul was drafted by the Hornets fourth overall out of Wake Forest in 2005. He has been selected to the Western Conference All-Star squad the past four seasons and also was a member of the United States’ Olympic gold medal-winning team in Beijing in 2008.
Meanwhile there’s still the question of Orlando’s Dwight Howard. His reps have told the New Jersey Nets that they are his first choice and that he plans to ask the Orlando Magic for a trade. But Magic officials have said they will do everything they can to keep him with the organization for the long-term.
The Heat will begin training camp Friday with at least one new player. NBA free agent Shane Battier is joining the team. Battier decided on Miami because he believes the Heat gives him the best chance to win an NBA championship. If the 33-year-old signs for the mid-level minimum as expected — three years, $9 million — then he could be in a fun ride.
via: blackmediascoop.com
