Chris Paul to Los Angeles Clippers deal is still on – NBA Update
New Orleans Hornets super star Chris Paul could yet find himself on the roster of the Los Angeles Clippers. The point guard was subject of a bumper deal between the two clubs, but it broke down after the Clippers found the Hornets’
demands too excessive.
The Hornets are owned by the NBA and the league holds final say over any deal. This is why the Hornets couldn’t trade Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three way deal that also involved the Houston Rockets. Many small market
owners vehemently protested to that deal because it was deemed too beneficial for the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the end NBA, Commissioner David Stern pulled the plug on it and since then the Los Angeles Clippers have appeared as the most likely destination for Paul, who has indicated a desire to play alongside Clippers sensation Blake
Griffin.
The two franchises recently got busy in negotiating a deal, but it hit a snag when the Clippers demanded one player too many in exchange for Paul. Clippers talented guard Eric Gordon, centre Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Bledsoe
and Minnesota's unprotected 2012 first-round draft pick were all included in the proposal made by the Hornets, which the Clippers have since rejected.
However, sources have disclosed that talks could restart again with a new proposal being suggested that would include either Eric Gordon or the highly coveted Minnesota draft pick. That deal might be acceptable to the Clippers,
but it isn’t known whether the Hornets would like it as much, or which one of the two assets they would want included in the deal.
What’s known is that Chris Paul will not be playing for the Hornets next season. The All-Star point guard has made up his mind to move on and the Hornets would rather trade him now or lose him for nothing next season.
Paul’s former teammate David West just signed terms with the Indiana Pacers on a two year deal and revealed why Chris and himself do not fancy playing in New Orleans any more.
"There just really is no direction with no legitimate owner, so that just makes it tough," West told the Associated Press on Monday. "It really made it tough for me to see myself going back there."
West went on to describe how he or Chris Paul had not been taken into confidence on a number of big deals made by the club over the last couple of years, included the one that sent Tyson Chandler to the Charlotte Bobcats. He said
that the treatment led to disenchantment with the organization.
"When you have a franchise guy like Chris, build a team around him, I'm under the impression that you've got to keep your franchise guy happy."
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