Los Angeles Clippers pull of Chris Paul trade – NBA Update
The Los Angeles Clippers have finally agreed a deal with the New Orleans Hornets to bring Chris Paul to the Staples Centre. The super star point guard has been the subject of intense speculation, perhaps more than any other player,
since the lockout ended and his future has now been finally decided.
The Clippers will part with exciting shooting guard Eric Gordon, centre Chris Kaman, young gun Al-Farouq Aminu and a 2012 first round draft pick that originally belonged to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of the deal.
The Clippers tried to force a deal through, earlier in the week, but it was shot down time and again by the NBA, which owns the Hornets. Last night sources again suggested that the deal was off, but after some intense negotiation
matters were resolved and finally ratified by NBA Commissioner David Stern to make it official.
"I knew we were doing the best thing for New Orleans and that was my job," Stern said. "You have to stick with what you think was right. I must confess it wasn't a lot of fun, but I don't get paid to have fun."
Analysts believe both parties have gotten a fair enough deal. The Clippers originally thought they could get Paul for much less than they eventually ended up paying, but the NBA drove a hard bargain.
The deal has left New Orleans with plenty of assets that the franchise can now use to rebuild and get back to relevance almost immediately. Hornets General Manager Dell Demps was pleased with the deal and appeared confident that
the future of his franchise was secure.
"With this trade, we now have three additional players who were among the top eight draft picks in their respective drafts as well as our own first round pick and Minnesota's first round pick," Demps said in a statement released
by the team. "Aminu is a young talent with a bright future, Gordon is a big-time scorer and one of the best (shooting) guards in the league and Kaman is a proven centre and former All-Star. ... We will field a competitive team and our future looks great."
Chris Paul hasn’t come on the record about the deal so far but he was believed to have pushed for a switch to the Clippers as it would give him an opportunity to not only play in a big market but also alongside a sensational young
star in Blake Griffin.
The Clippers now have two genuine All-Stars on the team in Paul and Griffin and they have strengthened the side by adding some experience in the form of veterans Caron Butler and Chauncey Billups. If the team can stay healthy they
are set to emerge genuine contenders in the Western Conference.
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