5 years later: Revisiting Chris Paul To The Lakers

[JSD]

Actual Trade:

Hornets (now Pelicans) eventually sent Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers. In return, New Orleans received Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman’s $14 million expiring contract, and the Timberwolves’ unprotected pick in 2012.

Proposed trade:

Hornets receive: F Lamar Odom (from Lakers), F Luis Scola (from Houston), G Kevin Martin (from Houston), G Goran Dragic (from Houston),

Houston receives: PF/C Pau Gasol (from Lakers)

Lakers receive: PG Chris Paul (from Hornets)


From a Celtics fans standpoint, it almost would have been better off if the Lakers had made that initial trade for Chris Paul.  That's assuming the Lakers still struck out in free agency, which isn't the best assumption. Thoughts?

[JSD]

For the Pelicans, it worked out because it set some on a path to get Anthony Davis.

[JSD]

For the Lakers, maybe Kevin Durant considers a Laker team that has Chris Paul on it?

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I forgot that the Lakers would've lost Gasol and Odom in the initial trade. They would've had a great backcourt with Paul and Kobe, but the front line wouldn't have been much to write home about.

[Ogaju]

Are you kidding.....they had Howard in the wings. That trade would have propelled the Lakers to great heights.

[SHAQATTACK]

Yup ...the gig was to land Howard and Paul to join Kobe for a super team

Lakers fan are still butt hurt over this with Stern for nixing that plan.

[fairweatherfan]

It's shady how the league got involved after management agreed to the deal, but they absolutely made the right decision.

Odom/Scola/K Martin takes that team absolutely nowhere but lower in the lottery. No one knew quite how good Dragic was at that point but he still doesn't get them any higher than the 8 seed. The package they got from the Clippers was a much better fit for NO's needs.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Are you kidding.....they had Howard in the wings. That trade would have propelled the Lakers to great heights.

Oh, yeah. Forgot about that.

It's shady how the league got involved after management agreed to the deal, but they absolutely made the right decision.

Odom/Scola/K Martin takes that team absolutely nowhere but lower in the lottery. No one knew quite how good Dragic was at that point but he still doesn't get them any higher than the 8 seed. The package they got from the Clippers was a much better fit for NO's needs.

Glad as I am that the Lakers didn't get their super team, I don't think the league should step in to stop owners or management from their own foolishness. Something similar could've happened in the Boston-Brooklyn trade, but fortunately for us it didn't.

[Adelaide Celt]

Given that the NBA were the owners of New Orleans at the time they had every right to step in. The amount of extra salary New Orleans would've been saddled with was pretty huge as well I recall.

[D Dub]

Are you kidding.....they had Howard in the wings. That trade would have propelled the Lakers to great heights.

Oh, yeah. Forgot about that.

It's shady how the league got involved after management agreed to the deal, but they absolutely made the right decision.

Odom/Scola/K Martin takes that team absolutely nowhere but lower in the lottery. No one knew quite how good Dragic was at that point but he still doesn't get them any higher than the 8 seed. The package they got from the Clippers was a much better fit for NO's needs.

Glad as I am that the Lakers didn't get their super team, I don't think the league should step in to stop owners or management from their own foolishness. Something similar could've happened in the Boston-Brooklyn trade, but fortunately for us it didn't.

Don't forget the league actually owned New Orleans at the time.   

If i remember correctly they needed to find a buyer for that franchise in a down economy.  Would you rather market Chris Paul or Scola & Odom?   Not to mention NO would have taken on more, long term salary while also giving up the best player in the deal.  It would have been a disaster deal for NO.   

[fairweatherfan]

It's shady how the league got involved after management agreed to the deal, but they absolutely made the right decision.

Odom/Scola/K Martin takes that team absolutely nowhere but lower in the lottery. No one knew quite how good Dragic was at that point but he still doesn't get them any higher than the 8 seed. The package they got from the Clippers was a much better fit for NO's needs.

Glad as I am that the Lakers didn't get their super team, I don't think the league should step in to stop owners or management from their own foolishness. Something similar could've happened in the Boston-Brooklyn trade, but fortunately for us it didn't.

The league were the Hornets' owners at the time. It was very unusual because of the inherent conflict of interest and because the assigned management team agreed to the deal before the "owners" in the league office vetoed it. So no such thing could've happened with our deal.

[TheSundanceKid]

Are you kidding.....they had Howard in the wings. That trade would have propelled the Lakers to great heights.

Oh, yeah. Forgot about that.

It's shady how the league got involved after management agreed to the deal, but they absolutely made the right decision.

Odom/Scola/K Martin takes that team absolutely nowhere but lower in the lottery. No one knew quite how good Dragic was at that point but he still doesn't get them any higher than the 8 seed. The package they got from the Clippers was a much better fit for NO's needs.

Glad as I am that the Lakers didn't get their super team, I don't think the league should step in to stop owners or management from their own foolishness. Something similar could've happened in the Boston-Brooklyn trade, but fortunately for us it didn't.

Well no, something similar couldn't have happened with eh Boston-Brooklyn trade. The reason that the league intervened is because they owned the team at the time. They needed to resell the team and as such needed to make sure any deals made were in the long term interests of a potential new owner. Adding veteran salaries and making them a long term middle of the road team was not that

Edit: Ddub and foulweatherfan got there before me, TP guys

[mr. dee]

Stern vetoed that trade for the Hornet's interest, not the league because NBA was the owner of the team at that time. If I were the owner, I would veto the trade too because getting Gasol/Odom is not a way to rebuild, unless there is a lottery pick packaged with them.

[mr. dee]

It's shady how the league got involved after management agreed to the deal, but they absolutely made the right decision.

Odom/Scola/K Martin takes that team absolutely nowhere but lower in the lottery. No one knew quite how good Dragic was at that point but he still doesn't get them any higher than the 8 seed. The package they got from the Clippers was a much better fit for NO's needs.

Glad as I am that the Lakers didn't get their super team, I don't think the league should step in to stop owners or management from their own foolishness. Something similar could've happened in the Boston-Brooklyn trade, but fortunately for us it didn't.

The league were the Hornets' owners at the time. It was very unusual because of the inherent conflict of interest and because the assigned management team agreed to the deal before the "owners" in the league office vetoed it. So no such thing could've happened with our deal.

I read somewhere that the former Celtics owner was forced to sold the team because he salvaged Red's plan on rebuilding by acquiring Bob McAdoo.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Are you kidding.....they had Howard in the wings. That trade would have propelled the Lakers to great heights.

Oh, yeah. Forgot about that.

It's shady how the league got involved after management agreed to the deal, but they absolutely made the right decision.

Odom/Scola/K Martin takes that team absolutely nowhere but lower in the lottery. No one knew quite how good Dragic was at that point but he still doesn't get them any higher than the 8 seed. The package they got from the Clippers was a much better fit for NO's needs.

Glad as I am that the Lakers didn't get their super team, I don't think the league should step in to stop owners or management from their own foolishness. Something similar could've happened in the Boston-Brooklyn trade, but fortunately for us it didn't.

Don't forget the league actually owned New Orleans at the time.   

If i remember correctly they needed to find a buyer for that franchise in a down economy.  Would you rather market Chris Paul or Scola & Odom?   Not to mention NO would have taken on more, long term salary while also giving up the best player in the deal.  It would have been a disaster deal for NO.

Ah yes. Thanks, everyone, for refreshing my memory. It's a good thing we're revisiting this deal!