Chris Paul Trade Rumors: David Stern Officially Has Ruined Next Season For CP3
Chris Paul is about to experience one of the weirdest NBA seasons in the history of the league. Every team wants him, but nobody can get him. That’s a problem.
The New Orleans Hornets are essentially run by league commissioner David Stern, and to say he has botched this situation is a vast understatement.
CP3 has made it clear that he wants a new team and will not be re-signing with the Hornets. He wants a deal to happen before the season starts to avoid another Carmelo Anthony situation in Denver.
Stern has vetoed a deal to the LA Lakers and LA Clippers, and now it’s clear it’s going to be incredibly difficult to get a deal done. Michael Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated believes this gaffe will permanently stain the legacy of what used to be the best commissioner in professional sports.
"He has turned the Paul situation into a complete farce. Paul will be a Laker ... no, Stern nixed it. Paul will be a Clipper ... nope, spoiled again. Nobody knows what will happen next, but as far as Stern's credibility is concerned, it hardly matters. Every conspiracy theorist in NBA history, including many who work in the league, now has his snapshot of Stern on a grassy knoll.
"
The big problem is that no deal is big enough.
The Lakers were attempting to send Lamar Odom to the Hornets and Pau Gasol to the Rockets in order to get Paul. That’s two players scoring over 13 points and eight rebounds a game and who have championship experience. Then the Clippers attempted to offer Chris Kamn, Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Bledsoe and Minnesota’s unprotected 2012 pick. Stern wanted Eric Gordon instead of Bledsoe, making the trade incredibly lopsided for the Hornets.
Now it looks like the Clippers have moved on by signing Chauncey Billups. Grantland’s Bill Simmons believes it’s all on Stern:
"The Billups acquisition changed everything for the Clippers; suddenly they believe they can contend without Paul, and in the shocker of shockers, they might be right. They backed away from negotiations last night, and one more time this morning, leaving David Stern sitting at the "CHRIS PAUL FIRE SALE" table by himself.
There isn't a single suitor in sight. Not one.
With the season just 12 days away, Stern finds himself stuck with a miserable star, a disgruntled fan base and the single most hopeless roster in the league. Unless that was his intention all long, it sure seems like the old man overplayed his hand … twice.
"
It’s an unprecedented situation, and CP3 is stuck being the guinea pig. The league is currently in a massive power struggle with their players, and Paul is stuck in the middle. With only 12 days until the season begins, it looks like Paul is stuck with the Hornets for the time being. He has to play with teammates that know he doesn’t believe in them, in front of fans that feel betrayed their star has abandoned them.
It’s ugly any way you look at it, and it’s a shame that the thoughtful and considerate CP3 is the player forced to go through this whole ordeal.
He can thank David Stern.
