Join Chase Sagum, Chris Kirkham & Troy Jennings in a discussion about the recent Chris Paul NBA debacle!

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The following is a summary of the above podcast with notes and sources of reference.

Details Of The CP3 Trade That Was Supposed To Happen:

Let’s first look at the details of the trade as reported by ESPN. Also note the financial details thanks to the ESPN Trade Machine.

Lakers get: Chris Paul (2 years @ $16.4m)

Rockets get: Pau Gasol (3 years @ $18.7m)

Hornets get: Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin & Goran Dragic (combined $31.1m)

First we should understand that this trade wasn’t done. The salaries have to match in order for a trade to go through according to league rules. Which is why it seems almost obvious that Emeka Okafor (3 years @ $12.6m) was included in the deal to go L.A.

Question: what do you guys think of the details of this trade?

Owners Complain. Gilbert Sends an Email. Stern Vetoes Trade.

The owners were having a meeting with the NBA in New York discussing (and hopefully finalizing) some loose ends on the new CBA. After finding out about this trade Yahoo! Sports reports that the owners immediately begin freaking out at David Stern demanding this trade get over-turned.

Then things get really odd. Yahoo! Sports reports an email that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert sends to Stern and 25 other owners. Here is that email:

Commissioner,

It would be a travesty to allow the Lakers to acquire Chris Paul in the apparent trade being discussed.

This trade should go to a vote of the 29 owners of the Hornets.

Over the next three seasons this deal would save the Lakers approximately $20 million in salaries and approximately $21 million in luxury taxes. That $21 million goes to non-taxpaying teams and to fund revenue sharing.

I cannot remember ever seeing a trade where a team got by far the best player in the trade and saved over $40 million in the process. And it doesn’t appear that they would give up any draft picks, which might allow to later make a trade for Dwight Howard. (They would also get a large trade exception that would help them improve their team and/or eventually trade for Howard.) When the Lakers got Pau Gasol (at the time considered an extremely lopsided trade) they took on tens of millions in additional salary and luxury tax and they gave up a number of prospects (one in Marc Gasol who may become a max-salary player).

I just don’t see how we can allow this trade to happen.

I know the vast majority of owners feel the same way that I do.

When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?

Please advise….

Dan G.

Soon after this David Stern releases his statement that he is blocking this trade for “basketball reasons.” All 3 teams are working on a new deal that they hope will get approved by Stern. If not it’s been reported that Chris Paul is prepared to leverage the Players Union and take this to court. All 3 teams involved are also prepared to file an appeal.

Question #1: Do the small market owners have a right to complain here?

Question #2: Oh Dan Gilbert! What is the problem with this guy?

Question #3: Does this set bad precedence for all future NBA trades?

Question #4: Does the revised trade go through?

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