Chris Paul to Clippers: Winners and Losers of the Blockbuster Deal

There are clear cut winners and losers in the Chris Paul to the Clippers trade that is expected to be finalized shortly.

This is a deal that was forever in the making, but may have mercifully finally met its conclusion. So it is time to stop speculating and time to start evaluating.

The Deal

ESPN's Marc Stein first released the details via his twitter account.

Stein went onto report in an article on ESPN that sources informed him the Clippers will also receive two future second-round selections.

Winner: The Clippers

The Clips got the man they wanted. They have the league's premier point guard and a cornerstone for their franchise.

Paul is just 26 and has plenty of good years ahead of him. The Clippers received the bonus of Paul picking up his option which means the Clippers will have control of him for two seasons, and the exclusive opportunity to lock him up for longer.

Paul will combine with Griffin to form one of the most explosive duos in the league. They will also be surrounded by good shooting talent. This will allow the Clippers to be effective on the inside and outside.

The Clippers have just gone from being an afterthought in their own town, to being one of the most anticipated shows in the NBA.

This move won't reap many benefits if they can't lock up Paul long term; however, the Clippers would have been screwed had they not locked up the players they shipped out anyway.

Neutral: The Hornets

The Hornets just lost the face of their franchise, but they had little choice. He was going to walk at the end of the season anyway.

They received a very good piece to the puzzle in Eric Gordon. The shooting guard is just 22 and he is coming off of a season where he averaged 22.4 points per game.

The other huge piece here is the unprotected No. 1 pick from the Timberwolves. It is hard to imagine any scenario where this does not wind up being a lottery pick and this is a loaded draft.

This was a solid deal for the Hornets; however, they are now left without a superstar and will likely struggle this season. That is a harsh reality for a franchise on life support.

Loser: Lakers

The Lakers now have to watch the player they thought they had acquired go to the team they share a building with. All of a sudden all of the buzz in the LA belongs to the team they have kept in their shadow.

The Lakers are an aging team, and compounding their bad Wednesday is the fact that Chad Ford and Marc Stein of ESPN are reporting hearing from sources that the Magic have taken Dwight Howard off of the market.

Egg on His Face: David Stern

David Stern took a huge hit to his credibility throughout this whole process. He made the decision to deny a deal involving the Lakers that in many ways was a more favorable deal for the Hornets.

He then got in the way of the first attempt of the Clippers and Hornets to make a trade for Paul, and the reasons announced by the league office along the way have raised many eyebrows.

Coming on the heels of a lengthy lockout, public opinion has never been lower of David Stern and the league office.