FiftyFive

^^ I think Orlando is pushing Dwight to say that so they have more leverage on potential trades. Teams will make better offers if the guy says he is willing to stay.

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

very true.

Yumcha

for Dwight to be a Bull...

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

Will not happen

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

Well, I always said you wouldn't love Apple but you do. So, anything could happen.

Doom878

Broussard reports Howard will only sign with Orlando, Lakers, Mavs, or Nets. Sorry Yum

Yumcha

[Mizouse = ON]



[Mizouse = OFF]

BraveDemon

Lol. Been busy and haven't been at the forums much lately, but been wondering when the LeBron/Heat/Doom bashing would start by Yummy in Azine's NBA thread.

Either way, you figure the drama would end with the lockout, but Commish Stern finds someway to stir up more drama.

CP3 to the Lakes was a great deal for the Hornets - they would've gotten 3 decent starters. Now if they don't unload CP3, he's simply going to walk and you better believe CP3 won't agree to a sign and trade like LeBron did after "le decision" due to the bullshit Stern is putting him through.

CP3 may still land with the Clippers... but with Stern and "basketball reasons" involved, it seems unlikely.

mystikk

It's interesting to me how teams are showing interest in Paul, then "backing off" suddenly.

Yumcha

Sure...it's like dating a hawt chick and then meeting the Dad. Who's the "Dad" in this case? Stern.

So, not worth the effort.

Yumcha

I'm sure Paul will end up with the LeHeat. Or the Yankees. Or the Eagles.

clpassenubye

iTrader: (20)

The Clippers backed away because the asking price was just too high and I can't say I blame them. If the Clippers would have pulled that trade the way it was setup they would be idiots.

I don't know what Stern is trying to do but if I was Chris Paul I would sue the NBA and David Stern for cheating him out of a the possibility of going to a championship contender like the Lakers for no good reason.

Yumcha

^ Nooooooo...the only true Title contender are the LeHeat. So, Paul has no case in your lawsuit scenario.

Doom878

I wouldn't call it bashing. I mostly joked with him last year but maybe some thought we were serious. It was usually other's opinions that I debated with. Since the Heat were the biggest story last year I was a target since I decided to defend them. And it was fun.

mystikk

Yumchah bashing the HEAT?

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

Cp3 is going to Le Heat to join that 3 queer amigos.

Yumcha

I never bash Miami. In fact, I'm one of the few zealots here who believe they will win not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven, not eight, not nine, not ten, not eleven, not twelve, not thirteen...but, FOURTEEN Titles.




And I'm always serious.

FiftyFive

If CP3 went to the Lakers I wouldn't even consider them contenders. They already took a step back and their team chemistry is likely out the window, as well with the Mavericks. The Thunder will be the team to beat in the West for many years to come.

Oh and Heat > Bulls, there.

Yumcha

55, the LeHeat >>>>>> MJ-led Bulls. You'll never get any argument from me.


LeHeat are even >>>>> than the Bill Russell-led Celtics.

Yumcha

I'm serious.

Yumcha

LeHeat > Apple.

Yumcha

But, slap-sticking aside...I don't know if Paul would really push the Lakers to a Title. Now, him as a Clipper...?

I think that may just make the Clippers contenders... :63cents:

Doom878

If it's CP3, Kobe, and Bynum they have a shot. If it's Howard instead of Bynum they probably win the west for the next few years.

Yumcha

Howard is off the trading block. So much for that...

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nba/story...rs-sources-say

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

Figured..

S14 n Tsx

no trade?

savage

Let's keep it that way so the Celtics can make him a max offer next summer...

clpassenubye

iTrader: (20)

reports are saying that the Clippers and Hornets have agreed in princple to the trade but the way its been going lately who knows what will happen.

DaChef320

iTrader: (1)

Clippers got CP3 FTL....

The Los Angeles Clippers, in a potentially franchise-changing trade, have finally reached a deal with the New Orleans Hornets to acquire four-time All-Star guard Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets, sources tell TNT’s David Aldridge. The Clippers will send promising shooting guard Eric Gordon, center Chris Kaman, second-year forward Al-Faroqu Aminu and a 2012 first-round draft pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves that is currently unprotected to the Hornets.
A deal for Paul between the Hornets and the Clippers’ crosstown rival, the Lakers, was scotched last week by NBA Commissioner David Stern, acting on behalf of the league-owned Hornets. This one is widely believed to be good enough to pass muster.
The deal makes the Clippers a potential powerhouse in the Western Conference after almost three decades of being the NBA’s most laughably bad franchise, and shows the pull that third-year star forward Blake Griffin‘s presence has in luring marquee names to play there. With Griffin, Paul and newly signed small forward Caron Butler, the Clippers now have their own dynamic trio to compare with Miami’s “SuperFriends” of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and New York’s new Big Three of Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and center Tyson Chandler, acquired last Saturday from Dallas in a sign-and-trade deal.
In the end, the Clippers abandoned their position that they wouldn’t include both Gordon and the unprotected first in the deal. The Hornets wanted five assets from the Clippers; the only one Los Angeles retained was second-year guard Eric Bledsoe.
But the Clippers still have dramatically changed the look and expectations of their roster, with the anticipation of the brilliant Paul throwing alley-oops to the high-flying Griffin already leading to the sale of around 1,000 season tickets in the last week, according to a league source. With Paul, Griffin, Butler and re-signed DeAndre Jordan taking over for Kaman at center, the Clippers could have one of the most athletic starting fives in the league.
Paul, according to sources, has committed to picking up his option year for the 2012-13 season, giving the Clippers at least two full years with Paul and Griffin together.
For New Orleans, it’s a reset for a franchise that has not been able to stabilize in recent years. Gordon, who averaged more than 22 points per game last season, is a top-notch two guard prospect. And the Draft pick may be especially valuable this year, as the 2012 Draft promises to be one of the deepest in recent years. With their own pick as well, the Hornets should get at least two young prospects to put on the court next season with Gordon and Aminu. The task now is to sell rebuilding as a promising concept for a fan base that committed to buy 10,000 season tickets before this season.
The NBA, which owns the Hornets, was adamant that in order to trade Paul, the Hornets had to get back a number of young assets that would both allow them to rebuild quickly and to be more palatable for potential owners who would keep the team in New Orleans. Aminu is 21; Gordon does not turn 23 until Christmas Day, and Kaman is 29.
It’s likely that the Hornets will flip Kaman, a former All-Star who’s in the final year of his contract and who would be in demand by many teams looking for a quality big man, by next summer at the latest for additional assets.
Paul originally was destined to go to the Clippers’ glamorous fellow Angelenos, the Lakers, as part of a three-team trade between the Lakers, Hornets and Rockets last week, but after the teams had gotten close to agreement, the NBA stepped in and killed the trade. In that deal, the Lakers would have gotten Paul, the Rockets would have gotten forward Pau Gasol and New Orleans would have received forwards Lamar Odom and Luis Scola, guards Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic and a 2012 first-round pick from Houston.
But Stern — after receiving withering criticism for getting involved — said the trade was rejected for “basketball reasons.” Several outlets reported that the league had been swayed by the concerns of small-market owners who didn’t want the Lakers to get another superstar player like Paul.

Yumcha

Yup...details here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...&sct=hp_t11_a2

CarbonGray Earl

David Stern doesn't hate LA....he hates the Lakers.

kidduce

iTrader: (1)

How pissed should the lakers be here? Get blocked for cp3 then the clips get him?

Osamu

lakers shouldn't be pissed. They just didn't have what the league wanted. In the lakers deal, NOH maybe got better players today, but take on like $65 mil in guaranteed dollars, and waste away in purgitory fighting for the playoffs and getting mediocre draft picks for the next 5 years.

Have to say, I am sad EJ was included in the deal, since I thought NOH was backed into a corner, and Clips had all the leverage. Oh well, EJ would've been hard to hold on to, as he was expecting a huge extension this year. I heard they had preliminary discussion with his agent after locking up DJ, and maybe the numbers his agent was talking (think Rudy Gay extension) were just a little out of the realm of the Clips if they plan on locking up Paul and Griffin long term as well.

RyanCHICL

iTrader: (1)

Richard Hamilton signs with the Bulls. I hope he gives us what we need at the SG spot.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...ritethru.1153/

is300eater

not to mention that Orlando took Dwight off the market

madcaps

iTrader: (1)

Yep, Lake Show got fucked.

eccjak

EJ will be in a Bull uniform !

Yumcha

Sorry, who...?

Yumcha

Here's hoping he takes some pressure off of Rose.

SLIKRIK

Stern hates NBPA President Derek Fisher (LAKERS)......payback for the lockout?

If the LAKERS don't figure out a way to get Howard now, then they'll really be fucked, and u already have a pissed off Kobe that's not too fond of the team essentially giving up last year's 6th man of the year (Odom) for practically nothing.

And even if they do acquire Howard they most likely will have to give up Bynum and Pau and then what?...Kobe and Howard will be relied upon heavily to do most of the scoring? Not too happy about the way things have unfolded thus far.