Chris Paul Trade: Danny Granger Tweets New Last Name After David Stern's Veto

It stands to reason that there are plenty of ticked off Los Angeles Lakers fans after the team's trade for New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul was vetoed by the league. One person who may be angrier than any Laker fan, however, is Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger.

The All-Star forward certainly didn't pull any punches in tweeting about his thoughts on the trade that never came to be. In fact, Granger even suggested that he might change his last name as a little "tribute" to NBA commissioner David Stern.

It's very easy to see where Granger is coming from in this instance. The three-way deal for Paul made complete sense for all sides involved, as the Lakers would have received Paul, the Houston Rockets would have gotten center Pau Gasol and the Hornets would have reeled in Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic and a first-round pick.

While it is never ideal for a star player to essentially force his way out of town, the Hornets' management would have received the best package possible under the circumstances. With the franchise under league control, however, it seems as though Stern made a power move to give the illusion that small-market teams will no longer be held hostage.

Perhaps the intentions of Stern were noble, but this will only serve to hurt the Hornets in the long run. There doesn't seem to be any way that Paul will re-sign in New Orleans, so the front office did the right thing in acquiring several capable NBA players, as well as pieces for the future.

Now, if Stern doesn't eventually allow a trade to go through, New Orleans could be forced to keep Paul for the duration of the year and ultimately lose him to free agency for absolutely nothing. This much is very plain to see for Granger and NBA fans alike, but for whatever reason, Stern doesn't seem to get it.

At the same time, Granger has to act in a much more professional manner. He's probably friends with Paul and feels as though he got a raw deal, but there are certainly other ways for him to express his dismay other than for him to blatantly disrespect the commissioner.

Granger may think that a power move like this by Stern will set a nasty precedent when it comes to trading superstar players. In that regard, he could be right, but there are much more civilized and intelligent ways to convey that as opposed to what Granger actually did.

It is also a bit of an overreaction on Granger's part when you consider how well the NBA players have it. Not only did the players make out well in the new collective bargaining agreement, but they are compensated quite handsomely, especially when compared to other American sports leagues.

When Stern starts withholding the players' checks, then maybe Granger's little outburst will have some validity. Until then, there is no real reason for anybody unaffected by the Chris Paul situation to get so upset about it.