Aside from the Clippers and the teams that did not want to see the Lakers improve, there were very few people who were pleased with the way the NBA handled the Chris Paul trade. Paul forced his way out of New Orleans, which is precisely the type of thing the league has been trying to put a stop to. Not only that, but he forced his way off of a team that happens to be owned by the NBA. The always-outspoken Mark Cuban thought the entire situation was embarrassing.
“I don’t think it was about the Lakers, per se,” Cuban said Monday according to the Star-Telegram. “I think it was just the way they did the deal, which was ridiculous.
“I don’t think it was about which team. I think it was the fact that, even with the Clippers, we just went through this whole (new collective bargaining agreement) and said the incumbent team still has the advantage and then the team the league owns (fades) out, and look how it’s worked out for them.”
When David Stern rejected the initial trade, it appeared as though he was simply trying to keep Paul on the Hornets so that they wouldn’t implode. The three-team trade would have sent Paul to the Lakers, Pau Gasol to the Rockets, and Lamar Odom, Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, and a first-round pick to the Hornets. Instead, the Clippers landed Paul and two first-round picks for Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, and Al-Farouq Aminu. Most people agree that the initial trade was more balanced all around.
“Bad management gets you bad results,” Cuban said. “It’s hard to judge any trade until it’s done.
“It’s about the concepts involved and the integrity of what we went through for the CBA. That’s what it’s all about. (The NBA office) screwed the pooch either way. The whole idea about having most of these rules is that you’d have an advantage and wouldn’t have to trade people.”
Cuban’s point is that the NBA allowed the trade to go through as if it had no choice, which is what owners have worked toward putting an end to. The Hornets — or NBA — made it seem as though they held no power in the deal in the end.
