Chris Paul is a Laker

[Me2SouthBend]

Do you not see the massive conflict of interest inherent in causing a league-owned team to trade away its best player to a large market dynasty like the Lakers? It reeks of corruption.

Every owner basically controls 1/29 of the Hornets right now. Did 15+ of them get together and decide that this trade would best for the league? Of course not.

The real problem here is Stern's aversion to contraction. 30 teams is simply too many; there are lots of small market teams that can't ever hope to compete long-term with the Lakers, Celtics, etc.

The league set themselves up for this problem by taking back ownership of the team. To think the Hornets were getting nothing out of this deal is just plain wrong. Some have argued that the Lakers came out on the short end of this. 9 months from now, CP3 walks away and the Hornets get nothing, nada, zip, zero. We shouldn't for a minute think the Hornets get nothing in return, with Odom, Martin, Scola a first round pick and the removal of Okafor's contract, they aren't getting fleeced.

The fact that Mark Cuban was one of the owners screaming about this is an absolute joke. He's the owner of a team in one of the largest markets in the NBA and he's screaming that it hurts the smaller market teams. I call Hypocrisy. I totally agree that contraction should occur in the league, but that arguement shouldn't have any bearing on this trade.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

The league set themselves up for this problem by taking back ownership of the team.

No argument there. The situation with the Hornets can't be resolved until the team is back under private ownership.

To think the Hornets were getting nothing out of this deal is just plain wrong. Some have argued that the Lakers came out on the short end of this. 9 months from now, CP3 walks away and the Hornets get nothing, nada, zip, zero. We shouldn't for a minute think the Hornets get nothing in return, with Odom, Martin, Scola a first round pick and the removal of Okafor's contract, they aren't getting fleeced.

I never said they were getting fleeced; just that the league has a massive conflict of interest with this trade. It's like a lawyer attempting to represent both buyer and seller in an arms-length transaction. Even if it seems like a great deal, the lawyer's conflict creates the appearance of impropriety.

To address irishog77's points, trades in the NBA are in many ways a zero sum game. Divisional competitors have a strong interest in seeing LA and NO struggle; their gain is a loss for others. That's fine when every team is privately owned and each owner is looking out for his own best interests, but when one team is collectively owned, that model falls apart.

Trading Paul is not a decision NO's front office can be authorized to make. He's the organization's most valuable asset and the face of the franchise. Only an owner could sign off on such a trade, but the Hornets' collective ownership makes that impossible.

Again, this whole issue would be solved if Stern would recognize the need for contraction; his absolute opposition to it resulted in the league owning a team, which has in turn lead to all these problems.

 

[irishog77]

No argument there. The situation with the Hornets can't be resolved until the team is back under private ownership.



I never said they were getting fleeced; just that the league has a massive conflict of interest with this trade. It's like a lawyer attempting to represent both buyer and seller in an arms-length transaction. Even if it seems like a great deal, the lawyer's conflict creates the appearance of impropriety.

To address irishog77's points, trades in the NBA are in many ways a zero sum game. Divisional competitors have a strong interest in seeing LA and NO struggle; their gain is a loss for others. That's fine when every team is privately owned and each owner is looking out for his own best interests, but when one team is collectively owned, that model falls apart.

Trading Paul is not a decision NO's front office can be authorized to make. He's the organization's most valuable asset and the face of the franchise. Only an owner could sign off on such a trade, but the Hornets' collective ownership makes that impossible.

Again, this whole issue would be solved if Stern would recognize the need for contraction; his absolute opposition to it resulted in the league owning a team, which has in turn lead to all these problems.

Fair enough. Sh!t can them...and Atlanta? Minny? Charlotte? Funny how the worst run team in the league was in Charlotte, moved to New Orleans, and remained the worst run team in the league. Meanwhile, the NBA decides to expand back into Charlotte...and that team is p!ss poor when it comes to ownership.

I may be stretching it a bit here, but New Orleans remains a semi-protected, hands-off city when it comes to wanting to hurt their feelings. It's like the fat girl at the dance. Tom Bensen had one foot out the door there when Katrina struck, and in all actuality, probably still should have moved his team (I know that year playing in San Antonio, New York, and Baton Rouge did wonders for his checkbook). He had been and then was definitely losing money once the hurricane hit. Societal and league pressure forced him to stay. Things turned out though pretty well for him a couple years ago. I kind of think it's the same thing with New Orleans. The city does not support the team well at all. But I think Stern is hellbent on having a team there, whether it's actually good for an owner there (or the league itself) or not.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

But I think Stern is hellbent on having a team there, whether it's actually good for an owner there (or the league itself) or not.

Bingo. For whatever reason, Stern thinks it's a major feather in his cap that the NBA hasn't lost a team under his watch, despite all the crappy small market franchises that have resulted.

If the league had let Benson leave, we wouldn't be having this conversation. If Stern had had the stones to just admit that New Orleans was a failed experiment and dissolved the team, we wouldn't be having this conversation. But Stern feels like that would be a personal failure for him, so we're in this collective ownership mess where everyone loses.

 

[Me2SouthBend]

And to think, Stern wants to expand into Europe w possible franchises in London and Paris. From a revenue perspective, sure you open up new streams, but from a quality perspective wouldn't this just suck more life out of the game? The NBA already has international players so they wouldn't necessarily be adding better players than currently exist. Add to that the jet lag and simple fatigue that would ultimately catch up w players when adding the international leg to a road trip. LA to Denver to Detroit to NY to Paris to London to Miami. Good luck.

 

[nd1]

all three teams are appealing to the league.

cp3 is talking about sueing the league if this trade doesn't happen.

 

[irishff1014]

Stern just dug his own grave with this deal.

 

[military_irish]

The trade has been resubmitted. Have to think with the backlash that this one may go through.

Sources Chris Paul Los Angeles Lakers Trade Resubmitted