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Good riddance to Kapono. Good luck to you LA fans, he won't be missed here in Philly.
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Cr122
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He'll be a perfect fit the Lakers, especially in a backup role.
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Updated: December 9, 2011, 3:25 AM ET
Chris Paul trade to Lakers off
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Archive
David Stern Rejects Chris Paul Trade
Former NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik breaks down why David Stern rejects three-team trade sending Chris Paul from Hornets to Lakers.
VIDEO PLAYLIST
On the eve of the sport's formal re-opening for business after a five-month lockout, NBA commissioner David Stern sent shockwaves throughout the league Thursday night by nixing the league-owned New Orleans Hornets' plans to trade guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Within an hour of the Hornets striking an agreement in principle with the Lakers andHouston Rockets on a three-team trade that would have landed Paul in the same backcourt as Kobe Bryant, Stern informed the Hornets that they couldn't make the trade, stunning team officials who had been working around-the-clock for days in hopes of bringing an end to the Paul saga before the season officially started.
More From ESPN.com
This is the same NBA that was willing to kill an entire season. So it only make sense that the league would nix a trade that represented a pretty good solution to a bad situation, writes J.A. Adande. Story
The questionable decision to nix the Chris Paul trade only helps pave way for Dwight Howard to L.A., writes John Hollinger.Story
• Shelburne: Dangerous precedent
• Markazi: Stars nearly aligned
• ESPN Los Angeles | Lakers Blog
Amid a stream of reports that angry owners were demanding the trade be vetoed, on the same day those owners had gathered in New York to ratify a new labor pact purportedly designed to foster competitive balance and prevent small-market teams from being raided for their stars, league officials tried to dispute claims of a revolt by insisting that the decision was Stern's.
"It's not true that the owners killed the deal," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. "The deal was never discussed at the Board of Governors meeting and the league office declined to make the trade for basketball reasons."
Yet in an email to Stern obtained by Yahoo! Sports and The New York Times, Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert called the proposed deal "a travesty" and urged Stern to put the deal to a vote of "the 29 owners of the Hornets," referring to the rest of the league's teams.
The proposed trade would have sent Paul to the Lakers, Pau Gasol to the Rockets and furnished New Orleans with three top-flight NBA players in Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and Lamar Odom as well as playoff-tested guard Goran Dragic and a 2012 first-round pick that Houston had acquired from the Knicks. The general reaction among rival executives was that Hornets general manager Dell Demps did as well as he could under the circumstances after Paul told the Hornets on Monday he would not sign a contract extension this season and instead planned to become a free agent July 1, 2012.
But Stern stepped in to nix the swap and leave all three teams with several shell-shocked players and officials heading into Friday's scheduled start of training camps, after the commissioner insisted for months that Hornets general manager Dell Demps and the rest of the team's front office had autonomy over basketball decisions. Sources close to the situation said Demps and teams that have pursued Paul had been assured the Hornets had the clearance to trade Paul as they saw fit.
"WoW," was Paul's reaction on Twitter.
Said Odom via his Twitter feed: "When a team trades u and it doesn't go down? Now what?"
In Paul's case, sources told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that the angry All-Star will not be reporting to Hornets camp on Friday and will instead explore his legal options with NBA Players Association executive director Billy Hunter, while maintaining the stance the deal is merely "on hold" as opposed to squashed.
The Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, reported that Odom also intends to skip the first day of Lakers camp, while the Rockets were said to be crestfallen after missing out on Gasol, who was targeted to fill the void created by Yao Ming's retirement.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Patrick SemanskyKobe Bryant and Chris Paul will continue to play against each other, after a trade to send Paul to the Lakers was stopped by the NBA.
Yet numerous sources close to the process expressed skepticism that the deal has a chance of being revived, amid a growing sense the league is now determined to keep Paul in New Orleans for an unspecified length of time -- perhaps even for the entire season -- to support the notion that lockout wasn't for naught and that the new labor deal has improved small-market teams' ability to retain star players.
The problem there, of course, is that the Hornets -- thinking they had avoided the drama that engulfed theDenver Nuggets for months last season until they finally traded Carmelo Anthony -- are left with a disgruntled star who can still opt out of his contract and leave the franchise with nothing as of July 1, 2012. Stern's decision to block the deal has likewise raised the question of whether New Orleans can trade Paul anywhere until a new buyer for the team is found, since any deal that does go through could create the appearance that Stern hand-picked the destination.
At a news conference, before word of the blocked deal had spread, Stern was asked if the pending Paul deal to the Lakers was a signal that the new labor pact was already failing on the issue of improving competitive balance.
"I'm happy that people are back to talking about basketball," Stern said. "Superstars, under any collective bargaining agreement, will always have tremendous leverage in this league, because an individual player can be so impactful on a franchise. But we'll see how it plays out.
"With a new deal that's six or 10 years (long), I wouldn't look to a 24- or 48-hour period (as evidence how it will work)."
Said NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver on how involved the league is in Hornets decision-making: "Ultimately the buck stops with the league office. But we're relying on the management -- Jac Sperling, Dell Demps, Hugh Weber -- we're relying on the management of that team to make decisions that are in the best interest of that franchise. But ultimately the decision rests with the league office. The final final say."
Despite the 149-day lockout, uncertainty over Paul's future and the fact that the league had to step in to buy the team last December from floundering owner George Shinn, fan support has been building in New Orleans, where the team has advertised their season-ticket drive as an effort to lure a permanent local buyer who is committed to keeping the team in Louisiana. The Hornets had increased their season ticket base from just over 6,000 last season to 10,019 as of Thursday afternoon.
Paul was drafted No. 4 overall by the Hornets out of Wake Forest in 2005. He's been an All-Star in the West for the past four seasons and also was a member of the United States' Olympic gold medal-winning team in Beijing in 2008.
Marc Stein is senior writer for ESPN.com. ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Marc Stein on Twitter: @ESPNSteinLine
Chris Paul trade to Lakers off
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Archive
David Stern Rejects Chris Paul Trade
Former NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik breaks down why David Stern rejects three-team trade sending Chris Paul from Hornets to Lakers.
VIDEO PLAYLIST
On the eve of the sport's formal re-opening for business after a five-month lockout, NBA commissioner David Stern sent shockwaves throughout the league Thursday night by nixing the league-owned New Orleans Hornets' plans to trade guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Within an hour of the Hornets striking an agreement in principle with the Lakers andHouston Rockets on a three-team trade that would have landed Paul in the same backcourt as Kobe Bryant, Stern informed the Hornets that they couldn't make the trade, stunning team officials who had been working around-the-clock for days in hopes of bringing an end to the Paul saga before the season officially started.
More From ESPN.com
• Shelburne: Dangerous precedent
• Markazi: Stars nearly aligned
• ESPN Los Angeles | Lakers Blog
Amid a stream of reports that angry owners were demanding the trade be vetoed, on the same day those owners had gathered in New York to ratify a new labor pact purportedly designed to foster competitive balance and prevent small-market teams from being raided for their stars, league officials tried to dispute claims of a revolt by insisting that the decision was Stern's.
"It's not true that the owners killed the deal," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. "The deal was never discussed at the Board of Governors meeting and the league office declined to make the trade for basketball reasons."
Yet in an email to Stern obtained by Yahoo! Sports and The New York Times, Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert called the proposed deal "a travesty" and urged Stern to put the deal to a vote of "the 29 owners of the Hornets," referring to the rest of the league's teams.
The proposed trade would have sent Paul to the Lakers, Pau Gasol to the Rockets and furnished New Orleans with three top-flight NBA players in Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and Lamar Odom as well as playoff-tested guard Goran Dragic and a 2012 first-round pick that Houston had acquired from the Knicks. The general reaction among rival executives was that Hornets general manager Dell Demps did as well as he could under the circumstances after Paul told the Hornets on Monday he would not sign a contract extension this season and instead planned to become a free agent July 1, 2012.
But Stern stepped in to nix the swap and leave all three teams with several shell-shocked players and officials heading into Friday's scheduled start of training camps, after the commissioner insisted for months that Hornets general manager Dell Demps and the rest of the team's front office had autonomy over basketball decisions. Sources close to the situation said Demps and teams that have pursued Paul had been assured the Hornets had the clearance to trade Paul as they saw fit.
"WoW," was Paul's reaction on Twitter.
Said Odom via his Twitter feed: "When a team trades u and it doesn't go down? Now what?"
In Paul's case, sources told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that the angry All-Star will not be reporting to Hornets camp on Friday and will instead explore his legal options with NBA Players Association executive director Billy Hunter, while maintaining the stance the deal is merely "on hold" as opposed to squashed.
The Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, reported that Odom also intends to skip the first day of Lakers camp, while the Rockets were said to be crestfallen after missing out on Gasol, who was targeted to fill the void created by Yao Ming's retirement.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Patrick SemanskyKobe Bryant and Chris Paul will continue to play against each other, after a trade to send Paul to the Lakers was stopped by the NBA.Yet numerous sources close to the process expressed skepticism that the deal has a chance of being revived, amid a growing sense the league is now determined to keep Paul in New Orleans for an unspecified length of time -- perhaps even for the entire season -- to support the notion that lockout wasn't for naught and that the new labor deal has improved small-market teams' ability to retain star players.
The problem there, of course, is that the Hornets -- thinking they had avoided the drama that engulfed theDenver Nuggets for months last season until they finally traded Carmelo Anthony -- are left with a disgruntled star who can still opt out of his contract and leave the franchise with nothing as of July 1, 2012. Stern's decision to block the deal has likewise raised the question of whether New Orleans can trade Paul anywhere until a new buyer for the team is found, since any deal that does go through could create the appearance that Stern hand-picked the destination.
At a news conference, before word of the blocked deal had spread, Stern was asked if the pending Paul deal to the Lakers was a signal that the new labor pact was already failing on the issue of improving competitive balance.
"I'm happy that people are back to talking about basketball," Stern said. "Superstars, under any collective bargaining agreement, will always have tremendous leverage in this league, because an individual player can be so impactful on a franchise. But we'll see how it plays out.
"With a new deal that's six or 10 years (long), I wouldn't look to a 24- or 48-hour period (as evidence how it will work)."
Said NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver on how involved the league is in Hornets decision-making: "Ultimately the buck stops with the league office. But we're relying on the management -- Jac Sperling, Dell Demps, Hugh Weber -- we're relying on the management of that team to make decisions that are in the best interest of that franchise. But ultimately the decision rests with the league office. The final final say."
Despite the 149-day lockout, uncertainty over Paul's future and the fact that the league had to step in to buy the team last December from floundering owner George Shinn, fan support has been building in New Orleans, where the team has advertised their season-ticket drive as an effort to lure a permanent local buyer who is committed to keeping the team in Louisiana. The Hornets had increased their season ticket base from just over 6,000 last season to 10,019 as of Thursday afternoon.
Paul was drafted No. 4 overall by the Hornets out of Wake Forest in 2005. He's been an All-Star in the West for the past four seasons and also was a member of the United States' Olympic gold medal-winning team in Beijing in 2008.
Marc Stein is senior writer for ESPN.com. ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Marc Stein on Twitter: @ESPNSteinLine
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Cr122
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League owners ~that's not fair if the Lakers get Paul~
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Cr122
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Fuck the small market teams, if you can't play with the big dogs get the hell out of the yard.
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Wow...the NBA completely screwed the pooch on this one. There is no way they can approve any trade for him now....if he got dealt to the Knicks, Boston, or Dallas, the Lakers would have every reason to sue the league.
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Below is the e-mail Dan Gilbert sent to David Stern
---------------------------------------------------
It would be a travesty to allow the Lakers to acquire Chris Paul in the apparent trade being discussed.
This trade should go to a vote of the 29 owners of the Hornets.
Over the next three seasons this deal would save the Lakers approximately $20 million in salaries and approximately $21 million in luxury taxes. That $21 million goes to non-taxpaying teams and to fund revenue sharing.
I cannot remember ever seeing a trade where a team got by far the best player in the trade and saved over $40 million in the process. And it doesn’t appear that they would give up any draft picks, which might allow to later make a trade for Dwight Howard. (They would also get a large trade exception that would help them improve their team and/or eventually trade for Howard.) When the Lakers got Pau Gasol (at the time considered an extremely lopsided trade) they took on tens of millions in additional salary and luxury tax and they gave up a number of prospects (one in Marc Gasol who may become a max-salary player).
I just don’t see how we can allow this trade to happen.
I know the vast majority of owners feel the same way that I do.
When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?
Please advise….
Dan G.
---------------------------------------------------
It would be a travesty to allow the Lakers to acquire Chris Paul in the apparent trade being discussed.
This trade should go to a vote of the 29 owners of the Hornets.
Over the next three seasons this deal would save the Lakers approximately $20 million in salaries and approximately $21 million in luxury taxes. That $21 million goes to non-taxpaying teams and to fund revenue sharing.
I cannot remember ever seeing a trade where a team got by far the best player in the trade and saved over $40 million in the process. And it doesn’t appear that they would give up any draft picks, which might allow to later make a trade for Dwight Howard. (They would also get a large trade exception that would help them improve their team and/or eventually trade for Howard.) When the Lakers got Pau Gasol (at the time considered an extremely lopsided trade) they took on tens of millions in additional salary and luxury tax and they gave up a number of prospects (one in Marc Gasol who may become a max-salary player).
I just don’t see how we can allow this trade to happen.
I know the vast majority of owners feel the same way that I do.
When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?
Please advise….
Dan G.
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Cr122
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Bullshit. they would have given the Hornets a first round draft pick. Wtf is he talking about.
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Cr122
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But the Gasol trade was okay, right? I mean why didn't the league block that one? David Stern is a fucking douchebag.
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That deal is a little different...the Grizzlies were just inept and had private management.
I have no problem with the NBA blocking the deal, but they should have told them from the start that they can make no personnel moves, period. Letting them get this far down the road is ridiculous, particularly when it seems that the whiney bitch in Clev is the reason behind it.
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Cr122
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Now they're saying the league office blocked the trade and not the owners. So now the finger pointing is going on.
It's clear the owners didn't like the deal and bitched to the commish then he went ahead and blocked the trade and blamed Stern for it. lol
It's clear the owners didn't like the deal and bitched to the commish then he went ahead and blocked the trade and blamed Stern for it. lol
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Cr122
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I guess I'm just pissed off that Paul isn't a Laker. Right, they should've notified all the teams prior to this trade.
To me it was the owners being upset that Paul was going to the Lakers and not one of the small market teams. Plus this bullshit that there wasn't any draft picks offered. The Hornets would have gotten a first rounder and players.
Now watch Howard get traded to the Nets, just because.
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Cr122
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What are Mavs thinking? Mark Cuban explains
December, 8, 2011
I emailed Mark Cuban with one question: What am I missing?
It took a while to get to the question. The email started with my take on his Mavericks’ recent moves, or lack thereof: It appears that their logic is that the team’s long-term outlook is better if they attempt to reload next summer instead of bringing a championship team back intact to defend its title. The likely low odds of landing a superstar, given the landscape in the league and contract rules, makes this difficult to understand.
Then again, I didn’t think trading for Tyson Chandler last summer was a last-piece-in-a-championship-puzzle kind of move … so there’s no doubt Cuban and Donnie Nelson have earned benefit of the doubt. Or at least the opportunity to fully explain their decision-making process.
Still, it seemed that with the harsher luxury tax penalties not kicking in for a couple of years, the Mavs could have kept Chandler and sparkplug guard J.J. Barea and tried to maximize at least the next two seasons. What am I missing?
Here is the explanation straight from the keyboard of the Mavs’ owner on the first night he is free to speak again about the team's roster:
December, 8, 2011
DEC 8
11:35
PM CT
By Tim MacMahon11:35
PM CT
I emailed Mark Cuban with one question: What am I missing?
It took a while to get to the question. The email started with my take on his Mavericks’ recent moves, or lack thereof: It appears that their logic is that the team’s long-term outlook is better if they attempt to reload next summer instead of bringing a championship team back intact to defend its title. The likely low odds of landing a superstar, given the landscape in the league and contract rules, makes this difficult to understand.
Then again, I didn’t think trading for Tyson Chandler last summer was a last-piece-in-a-championship-puzzle kind of move … so there’s no doubt Cuban and Donnie Nelson have earned benefit of the doubt. Or at least the opportunity to fully explain their decision-making process.
Still, it seemed that with the harsher luxury tax penalties not kicking in for a couple of years, the Mavs could have kept Chandler and sparkplug guard J.J. Barea and tried to maximize at least the next two seasons. What am I missing?
Here is the explanation straight from the keyboard of the Mavs’ owner on the first night he is free to speak again about the team's roster:
If this were the old CBA rules, we probably would have kept everyone together. But the rules changed.
If we were able to sign everyone to two-year deals, that would have possibly changed things as well, but that wasn’t in the cards either.
What you are missing is that it’s not about the luxury tax. It’s about the ability to improve our team going forward.
The reality is that in the new system, cap room will have far more value than it had in the past. I realize that everyone is all freaked out about how and where free agents and future free agents are going, but it’s not just about getting one guy.
We are not saving cap room in hope of that one super special free agent being there. It’s about being in the position to improve every year and possibly add some significant, younger players next year and in future years.
What I don’t think people understand is that once a team hits the tax level the ability to improve our team is reduced dramatically. In addition, your ability to make trades is reduced. So basically, if we made the move to keep everyone together with five-year deals, the team we have today is going to be the team we have for the next five years. If we were a young team it would be one thing. But we are not a young team.
In the past, it was different. If we had a problem, I could fix any mistake by having Donnie find a trade and just taking on more money. That is how we got Jet, the Matrix, JKidd, Tyson. It was always about taking on more money. That trick doesn’t work any more for teams over the tax. So we have to change our approach. By getting back under the cap, we have a ton of flexibility not only for free agent signings but also trades. If we can get the right guy(s) via free agency, great. if we do it via trade, great. We have that much more flexibility to make moves.
Again, I know this is tough for all of us after winning a championship. But we still believe as much as last year we are in a position to compete for a championship.
The difference is that with this approach, we can be in a position to compete for a championship this year and to reload and continue to compete in future years.
By just signing everyone to long-term deals, there is no chance of that happening.
We won last year because we put ourselves in a position to create opportunities that brought us the right players at the right time.
We structured contracts in ways that gave us upside. The rules are different now, and while it makes it tougher this year because of the affection we have for many of the guys that are leaving, if we want the Mavs to be able to compete for championships in future years as well, it’s a hard decision, but I believe the right decision.
If we were able to sign everyone to two-year deals, that would have possibly changed things as well, but that wasn’t in the cards either.
What you are missing is that it’s not about the luxury tax. It’s about the ability to improve our team going forward.
The reality is that in the new system, cap room will have far more value than it had in the past. I realize that everyone is all freaked out about how and where free agents and future free agents are going, but it’s not just about getting one guy.
We are not saving cap room in hope of that one super special free agent being there. It’s about being in the position to improve every year and possibly add some significant, younger players next year and in future years.
What I don’t think people understand is that once a team hits the tax level the ability to improve our team is reduced dramatically. In addition, your ability to make trades is reduced. So basically, if we made the move to keep everyone together with five-year deals, the team we have today is going to be the team we have for the next five years. If we were a young team it would be one thing. But we are not a young team.
In the past, it was different. If we had a problem, I could fix any mistake by having Donnie find a trade and just taking on more money. That is how we got Jet, the Matrix, JKidd, Tyson. It was always about taking on more money. That trick doesn’t work any more for teams over the tax. So we have to change our approach. By getting back under the cap, we have a ton of flexibility not only for free agent signings but also trades. If we can get the right guy(s) via free agency, great. if we do it via trade, great. We have that much more flexibility to make moves.
Again, I know this is tough for all of us after winning a championship. But we still believe as much as last year we are in a position to compete for a championship.
The difference is that with this approach, we can be in a position to compete for a championship this year and to reload and continue to compete in future years.
By just signing everyone to long-term deals, there is no chance of that happening.
We won last year because we put ourselves in a position to create opportunities that brought us the right players at the right time.
We structured contracts in ways that gave us upside. The rules are different now, and while it makes it tougher this year because of the affection we have for many of the guys that are leaving, if we want the Mavs to be able to compete for championships in future years as well, it’s a hard decision, but I believe the right decision.
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Cr122
Guest
Updated: December 9, 2011, 12:14 PM ET
Sources: Teams appeal Chris Paul ruling
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Archive
Teams Appeal Chris Paul Ruling
Sources: Hornets, Lakers and Rockets appealing NBA's decision to veto proposed trade.Tags: Chris Broussard
VIDEO PLAYLIST
There is no indication yet that Stern is prepared to reverse course after taking the dramatic step of blocking the league-owned New Orleans Hornets' decision to deal Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Stern told Bloomberg News on Friday it was determined to keep Paul in New Orleans because it was "more valuable than the trade that was being discussed."
"I don't want to speak on the basketball side, but that particular one was weighed against Chris Paul's continued presence in New Orleans," Stern said in New York at the NBA's offices.
NBA spokesman Tim Frank said Thursday the deal was blocked for "basketball reasons." The league owns the Hornets and is trying to sell the club.
But the primary argument being presented to the league office for allowing the deal to go through -- as agreed to in principle by the Hornets, Lakers and Houston Rockets -- is that the NBA's decision would appear to force the Hornets to keep Paul for the rest of the season, despite the fact that he can opt out of his contract and become a free agent July 1 and leave New Orleans without compensation.
A trade of Paul elsewhere, according to the teams' argument, would mean that Stern and the league are choosing where Paul would play.
More From ESPN.com
This is the same NBA that was willing to kill an entire season. So it only make sense that the league would nix a trade that represented a pretty good solution to a bad situation, writes J.A. Adande. Story
The questionable decision to nix the Chris Paul trade only helps pave way for Dwight Howard to L.A., writes John Hollinger.Story
• Kreidler: Same old, same old
• Shelburne: Dangerous precedent
• Markazi: Stars nearly aligned
• Stephen A. Smith: Bad call
• ESPN Los Angeles | Lakers Blog
The proposed trade would have sent Paul to the Lakers, Pau Gasol to the Rockets and furnished New Orleans with three top-flight NBA players inKevin Martin, Luis Scola and Lamar Odom as well as playoff-tested guard Goran Dragic and a 2012 first-round pick that Houston had acquired from the Knicks. The general reaction among rival executives was that Hornets general managerDell Demps did as well as he could under the circumstances after Paul told the Hornets on Monday he would not sign a contract extension this season and instead planned to become a free agent July 1, 2012.
But Stern stepped in to nix the swap and leave all three teams with several shell-shocked players and officials heading into Friday's scheduled start of training camps, after the commissioner insisted for months that Demps and the rest of the team's front office had autonomy over basketball decisions. Sources close to the situation said Demps and teams that have pursued Paul had been assured the Hornets had the clearance to trade Paul as they saw fit.
In an email to Stern obtained by Yahoo! Sports, The New York Times and Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert called the proposed deal "a travesty" and urged Stern to put the deal to a vote of "the 29 owners of the Hornets," referring to the rest of the league's teams.
Numerous sources close to the process expressed skepticism that the deal has a chance of being revived, amid a growing sense the league is now determined to keep Paul in New Orleans for an unspecified length of time -- perhaps even for the entire season -- to support the notion that lockout wasn't for naught and that the new labor deal has improved small-market teams' ability to retain star players.
The problem there, of course, is that the Hornets -- thinking they had avoided the drama that engulfed the Denver Nuggets for months last season until they finally traded Carmelo Anthony -- are left with a disgruntled star who can still opt out of his contract and leave the franchise with nothing as of July 1, 2012. Stern's decision to block the deal has likewise raised the question of whether New Orleans can trade Paul anywhere until a new buyer for the team is found, since any deal that does go through could create the appearance that Stern hand-picked the destination.
Odom said the league's action left him disoriented.
"I don't know what to do for the Lakers," Odom told the Los Angeles Times. "I'm even weirded out by the league doing what they did. I don't know what to do."
A "somber" Odom told the newspaper he thought it was a lie when he was first told about the trade to the Hornets.
"And then it doesn't go through," Odom said. "Oh, lord. I don't know what I'm going to do. I'll pray about it."
Odom also said he felt bad for Gasol.
"Imagine how Pau feels," Odom told the Times. "Pau came to the Lakers and played here for four years, went to the Finals and lost, won two NBA championships and then got swept [by the Mavericks this year]. Wow! Imagine how he must feel.
"Man, I'm just in total disbelief about all of this," Odom added. "They don't want my services, for whatever reason. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I was proud to be a Laker, so I'll try to help them in the process as much as possible."
Marc Stein is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Follow Marc Stein on Twitter: @ESPNSteinLine
Sources: Teams appeal Chris Paul ruling
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Archive
Teams Appeal Chris Paul Ruling
Sources: Hornets, Lakers and Rockets appealing NBA's decision to veto proposed trade.Tags: Chris Broussard
VIDEO PLAYLIST
- Teams Appeal Chris Paul Ruling
- Problem With NBA Vetoing Paul Trade?
- David Stern Rejects Chris Paul Trade
- Sources: CP3 Deal On Hold
There is no indication yet that Stern is prepared to reverse course after taking the dramatic step of blocking the league-owned New Orleans Hornets' decision to deal Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Stern told Bloomberg News on Friday it was determined to keep Paul in New Orleans because it was "more valuable than the trade that was being discussed."
"I don't want to speak on the basketball side, but that particular one was weighed against Chris Paul's continued presence in New Orleans," Stern said in New York at the NBA's offices.
NBA spokesman Tim Frank said Thursday the deal was blocked for "basketball reasons." The league owns the Hornets and is trying to sell the club.
But the primary argument being presented to the league office for allowing the deal to go through -- as agreed to in principle by the Hornets, Lakers and Houston Rockets -- is that the NBA's decision would appear to force the Hornets to keep Paul for the rest of the season, despite the fact that he can opt out of his contract and become a free agent July 1 and leave New Orleans without compensation.
A trade of Paul elsewhere, according to the teams' argument, would mean that Stern and the league are choosing where Paul would play.
More From ESPN.com
• Kreidler: Same old, same old
• Shelburne: Dangerous precedent
• Markazi: Stars nearly aligned
• Stephen A. Smith: Bad call
• ESPN Los Angeles | Lakers Blog
The proposed trade would have sent Paul to the Lakers, Pau Gasol to the Rockets and furnished New Orleans with three top-flight NBA players inKevin Martin, Luis Scola and Lamar Odom as well as playoff-tested guard Goran Dragic and a 2012 first-round pick that Houston had acquired from the Knicks. The general reaction among rival executives was that Hornets general managerDell Demps did as well as he could under the circumstances after Paul told the Hornets on Monday he would not sign a contract extension this season and instead planned to become a free agent July 1, 2012.
But Stern stepped in to nix the swap and leave all three teams with several shell-shocked players and officials heading into Friday's scheduled start of training camps, after the commissioner insisted for months that Demps and the rest of the team's front office had autonomy over basketball decisions. Sources close to the situation said Demps and teams that have pursued Paul had been assured the Hornets had the clearance to trade Paul as they saw fit.
In an email to Stern obtained by Yahoo! Sports, The New York Times and Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert called the proposed deal "a travesty" and urged Stern to put the deal to a vote of "the 29 owners of the Hornets," referring to the rest of the league's teams.
Numerous sources close to the process expressed skepticism that the deal has a chance of being revived, amid a growing sense the league is now determined to keep Paul in New Orleans for an unspecified length of time -- perhaps even for the entire season -- to support the notion that lockout wasn't for naught and that the new labor deal has improved small-market teams' ability to retain star players.
The problem there, of course, is that the Hornets -- thinking they had avoided the drama that engulfed the Denver Nuggets for months last season until they finally traded Carmelo Anthony -- are left with a disgruntled star who can still opt out of his contract and leave the franchise with nothing as of July 1, 2012. Stern's decision to block the deal has likewise raised the question of whether New Orleans can trade Paul anywhere until a new buyer for the team is found, since any deal that does go through could create the appearance that Stern hand-picked the destination.
Odom said the league's action left him disoriented.
"I don't know what to do for the Lakers," Odom told the Los Angeles Times. "I'm even weirded out by the league doing what they did. I don't know what to do."
A "somber" Odom told the newspaper he thought it was a lie when he was first told about the trade to the Hornets.
"And then it doesn't go through," Odom said. "Oh, lord. I don't know what I'm going to do. I'll pray about it."
Odom also said he felt bad for Gasol.
"Imagine how Pau feels," Odom told the Times. "Pau came to the Lakers and played here for four years, went to the Finals and lost, won two NBA championships and then got swept [by the Mavericks this year]. Wow! Imagine how he must feel.
"Man, I'm just in total disbelief about all of this," Odom added. "They don't want my services, for whatever reason. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I was proud to be a Laker, so I'll try to help them in the process as much as possible."
Marc Stein is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Follow Marc Stein on Twitter: @ESPNSteinLine
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Updated: December 9, 2011, 10:43 AM ET
Sources: Dwight Howard eyeing Nets
By Chris Broussard
ESPN The Magazine
Archive
Howard Headed To New Jersey?
Stephen A. Smith on Dwight Howard asking for a trade to the Nets.Tags: SportsCenter, Trade, Magic-Nets, Stephen A. Smith
VIDEO PLAYLIST
Howard's representatives have already told the Nets that they are his preferred destination.
As ESPN.com reported last week, the Nets are ready to offer the Magic a package built around center Brook Lopez and two first-round draft picks, New Jersey's own and one the Nets acquired from Houston in a previous trade, according to sources.
New Jersey is also willing to take back Hedo Turkoglu and the three years, $34 million remaining on his deal.
The appeal of the Nets for Howard is the chance to play with All-Star point guard Deron Williams and the Nets' move into a new arena in Brooklyn for the start of the 2012-13 season.
Williams and Howard spoke several times about teaming up during the lockout.
If Howard is indeed committed to joining the Nets, he can all but force the Magic to make the trade by declaring his intentions not to sign a long-term contract with any other team, thereby assuring that those clubs make low-ball offers to Orlando.
In light of the league's refusal to allow Chris Paul to dictate a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, one has to wonder if it will sit idly by and let Howard facilitate a move to the Nets.
Howard's decision to go to the Nets would put a monkey wrench in the Los Angeles Lakers' plan to team Howard with Kobe Bryant by trading Andrew Bynum for the Magic center.
The Nets are continuing to pursue free-agent center Nene in case their plan to acquire Howard falls through.
Chris Broussard is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine.
Follow Chris Broussard on Twitter: @chris_broussard
Sources: Dwight Howard eyeing Nets
By Chris Broussard
ESPN The Magazine
Archive
Howard Headed To New Jersey?
Stephen A. Smith on Dwight Howard asking for a trade to the Nets.Tags: SportsCenter, Trade, Magic-Nets, Stephen A. Smith
VIDEO PLAYLIST
- Howard Headed To New Jersey?
- Dwight Howard To Nets?
- ESPNNY Hot Topics
- The Forum: Chris Paul or Dwight Howard?
Howard's representatives have already told the Nets that they are his preferred destination.
Howard
When Howard speaks to the Magic, he will tell them that he will not re-sign with the team after this season, sources said. There is also a chance that Howard will not attend the opening of training camp Friday, according to a source.As ESPN.com reported last week, the Nets are ready to offer the Magic a package built around center Brook Lopez and two first-round draft picks, New Jersey's own and one the Nets acquired from Houston in a previous trade, according to sources.
New Jersey is also willing to take back Hedo Turkoglu and the three years, $34 million remaining on his deal.
The appeal of the Nets for Howard is the chance to play with All-Star point guard Deron Williams and the Nets' move into a new arena in Brooklyn for the start of the 2012-13 season.
Williams and Howard spoke several times about teaming up during the lockout.
If Howard is indeed committed to joining the Nets, he can all but force the Magic to make the trade by declaring his intentions not to sign a long-term contract with any other team, thereby assuring that those clubs make low-ball offers to Orlando.
In light of the league's refusal to allow Chris Paul to dictate a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, one has to wonder if it will sit idly by and let Howard facilitate a move to the Nets.
Howard's decision to go to the Nets would put a monkey wrench in the Los Angeles Lakers' plan to team Howard with Kobe Bryant by trading Andrew Bynum for the Magic center.
The Nets are continuing to pursue free-agent center Nene in case their plan to acquire Howard falls through.
Chris Broussard is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine.
Follow Chris Broussard on Twitter: @chris_broussard
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Updated: December 9, 2011, 11:48 AM ET
Mario Chalmers, Miami Heat reach deal
By Brian Windhorst
ESPN.com
Archive
MIAMI -- Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat reached agreement on a contract Friday morning, Chalmers' agent, Sam Goldfeder, told ESPN.com.
The final details were being worked out, but Chalmers was expected to be at training camp Friday afternoon.
Also Friday, the Heat continued to shore up their bench, re-signing veteran wing James Jones to a three-year deal.
Jones opted out of his contract with the Heat last summer to become a free agent and was being courted by several teams before he agreed to take less money to re-sign in his hometown. He will also earn $1.65 million from the Heat this year as part of a separate buyout agreement he had with the Heat in 2010. Jones, who overcame a serious wrist injury that threatened his career several years ago, averaged 5.9 points and shot 43 percent from 3-point range last season.
"I took considerably less (money) than what was offer out there," Jones said. "But you can't put a price on what's being built in Miami. It came down to stability of the organization and my family being comfortable here. I have a chance to have an impact on a team competing for a championship."
Chalmers was a restricted free agent with particular value to the Heat, who are thin at point guard. He will enter camp as the favorite to be the team's opening-night starter.
Chalmers averaged 6.8 points and 2.5 assists last season but proved to be a strong performer in the playoffs. He was at his best during the NBA Finals, when he averaged 11.8 points.
It is the third signing for the Heat in the past two days. They locked up wing Shane Battierand center Eddy Curry on Thursday.
Brian Windhorst is an NBA writer for ESPN.com.
Follow Brian Windhorst on Twitter: @WindhorstESPN
Mario Chalmers, Miami Heat reach deal
By Brian Windhorst
ESPN.com
Archive
MIAMI -- Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat reached agreement on a contract Friday morning, Chalmers' agent, Sam Goldfeder, told ESPN.com.
The final details were being worked out, but Chalmers was expected to be at training camp Friday afternoon.
Also Friday, the Heat continued to shore up their bench, re-signing veteran wing James Jones to a three-year deal.
Jones opted out of his contract with the Heat last summer to become a free agent and was being courted by several teams before he agreed to take less money to re-sign in his hometown. He will also earn $1.65 million from the Heat this year as part of a separate buyout agreement he had with the Heat in 2010. Jones, who overcame a serious wrist injury that threatened his career several years ago, averaged 5.9 points and shot 43 percent from 3-point range last season.
"I took considerably less (money) than what was offer out there," Jones said. "But you can't put a price on what's being built in Miami. It came down to stability of the organization and my family being comfortable here. I have a chance to have an impact on a team competing for a championship."
Chalmers was a restricted free agent with particular value to the Heat, who are thin at point guard. He will enter camp as the favorite to be the team's opening-night starter.
Chalmers averaged 6.8 points and 2.5 assists last season but proved to be a strong performer in the playoffs. He was at his best during the NBA Finals, when he averaged 11.8 points.
It is the third signing for the Heat in the past two days. They locked up wing Shane Battierand center Eddy Curry on Thursday.
Brian Windhorst is an NBA writer for ESPN.com.
Follow Brian Windhorst on Twitter: @WindhorstESPN
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Updated: December 9, 2011, 11:17 AM ET
Sources: Blazers' Brandon Roy to retire
ESPN.com news services
Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy is planning to announce his retirement due to degenerative knees, perhaps as soon as Friday, sources with knowledge of Roy's decision have told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard and ESPN.com's Chad Ford.
Sources say Roy has privately conceded his ongoing knee trouble would have inevitably led to a reduced role, and given his close connection with the Portland community the former All-Star does not want to end up being released through the forthcoming amnesty clause and thus eligible to be picked up by another team.
Roy's retirement would eventually give the Blazers salary-cap relief. League rules call for a waiting period of one year from the date of the player's injury or illness, after which the Blazers could get Roy's contract off their books.
Since Roy played all the way into the playoffs last season, that date will likely be April 28, 2012 -- one year from the day the Blazers were eliminated from the playoffs.
According to NBA rules, a league physician will have to confirm that Roy is unfit to play for the Blazers to get the salary-cap relief.
As recently as Monday, Blazers officials had said that, despite considerable speculation to the contrary, they would not use the amnesty clause on Roy. The clause allows a team to release one player and gain salary cap relief; however, the team must still pay the salary.
"Our plan right now is not to use the amnesty," Blazers president Larry Miller told the Oregonian newspaper. "We expect Brandon to be a part of this team when the season starts."
Before the announcement, Miller held a 90-minute meeting at his home with Roy, agent Greg Lawrence, coach Nate McMillan and Blazers interim general manager Chad Buchanan. McMillan emerged from the sitdown saying he was going into the season viewing Roy as his starting shooting guard.
Roy had told the executives he felt great and wanted to help the team in any way he could.
Roy has said he lacks cartilage in both knees, meaning there is no cushion between the bones. After arthroscopic surgery last January, Roy came back to play, his minutes were limited off the bench, and he finished with an average of 12.2 points per game, a career low, in 47 games.
Information from ESPN.com's Chad Ford, ESPN.com's Marc Stein and The Associated Press was used in this report.
Sources: Blazers' Brandon Roy to retire
ESPN.com news services
Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy is planning to announce his retirement due to degenerative knees, perhaps as soon as Friday, sources with knowledge of Roy's decision have told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard and ESPN.com's Chad Ford.
Roy
The Blazers had said earlier in the week they were expecting Roy to be ready for training camp as NBA teams hold their first official practices Friday after the five-month lockout.Sources say Roy has privately conceded his ongoing knee trouble would have inevitably led to a reduced role, and given his close connection with the Portland community the former All-Star does not want to end up being released through the forthcoming amnesty clause and thus eligible to be picked up by another team.
Roy's retirement would eventually give the Blazers salary-cap relief. League rules call for a waiting period of one year from the date of the player's injury or illness, after which the Blazers could get Roy's contract off their books.
Since Roy played all the way into the playoffs last season, that date will likely be April 28, 2012 -- one year from the day the Blazers were eliminated from the playoffs.
According to NBA rules, a league physician will have to confirm that Roy is unfit to play for the Blazers to get the salary-cap relief.
As recently as Monday, Blazers officials had said that, despite considerable speculation to the contrary, they would not use the amnesty clause on Roy. The clause allows a team to release one player and gain salary cap relief; however, the team must still pay the salary.
"Our plan right now is not to use the amnesty," Blazers president Larry Miller told the Oregonian newspaper. "We expect Brandon to be a part of this team when the season starts."
Before the announcement, Miller held a 90-minute meeting at his home with Roy, agent Greg Lawrence, coach Nate McMillan and Blazers interim general manager Chad Buchanan. McMillan emerged from the sitdown saying he was going into the season viewing Roy as his starting shooting guard.
Roy had told the executives he felt great and wanted to help the team in any way he could.
Roy has said he lacks cartilage in both knees, meaning there is no cushion between the bones. After arthroscopic surgery last January, Roy came back to play, his minutes were limited off the bench, and he finished with an average of 12.2 points per game, a career low, in 47 games.
Information from ESPN.com's Chad Ford, ESPN.com's Marc Stein and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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Updated: December 9, 2011, 1:02 PM ET
Sources: Nets, Howard met in Miami
By Chris Broussard
ESPN The Magazine
Archive
The New Jersey Nets met with Dwight Howard Thursday night in a move that would be a violation of the league's tampering rules, according to multiple sources.
Howard met with Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and general manager Billy King in Miami, sources said. Howard was joined by a few business associates.
The meeting violates the NBA's tampering rules because Howard's current team, the Orlando Magic, did not know about the meeting or give the Nets permission to meet with him, according to the sources.
NBA.com reported that the Magic are considering filing tampering charges against two teams, one being the Nets. SI.com reported that the other team is the Houston Rockets.
The meeting was the first between Howard and the Nets, but the second between Howard's representatives and the Nets.
At the meeting, the group discussed a deal in which Howard would be traded to New Jersey. The plan was for Howard to ask Orlando to trade him Friday morning.
Sources said the Magic had been discussing a possible trade with New Jersey the past few days, but that nothing had been agreed upon.
Chris Broussard is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine.
Follow Chris Broussard on Twitter: @chris_broussard
Sources: Nets, Howard met in Miami
By Chris Broussard
ESPN The Magazine
Archive
The New Jersey Nets met with Dwight Howard Thursday night in a move that would be a violation of the league's tampering rules, according to multiple sources.
Howard
Howard met with Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and general manager Billy King in Miami, sources said. Howard was joined by a few business associates.
The meeting violates the NBA's tampering rules because Howard's current team, the Orlando Magic, did not know about the meeting or give the Nets permission to meet with him, according to the sources.
NBA.com reported that the Magic are considering filing tampering charges against two teams, one being the Nets. SI.com reported that the other team is the Houston Rockets.
The meeting was the first between Howard and the Nets, but the second between Howard's representatives and the Nets.
At the meeting, the group discussed a deal in which Howard would be traded to New Jersey. The plan was for Howard to ask Orlando to trade him Friday morning.
Sources said the Magic had been discussing a possible trade with New Jersey the past few days, but that nothing had been agreed upon.
Chris Broussard is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine.
Follow Chris Broussard on Twitter: @chris_broussard