Grading the CP3 to LAC Deal

Chris Paul and Eric Gordon are on the move!

The Chris Paul saga finally seems to have reached its conclusion, at least for the next two seasons. David Stern...I mean the Hornets, agreed to send Chris Paul and two future second round picks to the Clippers in exchange for Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman, and the unprotected 2012 first round pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves. While the Clippers might have given up a ton to bring Chris Paul to the Staples Center, it is hard to say it was a "bad" trade for them. They got Chris Paul.



Los Angeles Clippers:

The Clippers get possibly the best pure point guard in the game. Chris Paul could not be walking in to a better scenario as well. He will now be throwing alley oops to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan for at least the next two years (Paul picked up his player option for the 2012-2013 season). The Clippers also claimed Chauncey Billups after he was amnestied by the New York Knicks, so without Gordon it seems likely that Billups will be playing the 2 spot for the Clippers this season. In addition to Billups and Paul the Clippers still have Eric Bledsoe and Mo Williams at point guard. I fully expect one if not both of those players to be on the move within the next week. With the loss of Kaman a backup big man becomes a position of need, so it seems likely that Bledsoe or Williams will be on the move for a veteran big man who can back up Griffin and Jordan.

The two biggest assest's lost from the Clippers standpoint are Eric Gordon and the Timberwolves unprotected first round pick in 2012, which is going to be a stacked draft class. Billups and Randy Foye can temporarily fill the void that Eric Gordon leaves, but eventually they will need a longer term answer at shooting guard. As for the Timberwolves pick, the Clippers have to hope that it doesn't turn out to be the number one pick in that draft, which in all likelihood be Anthony Davis from Kentucky. Even if Gordon emerges into the superstar it looks like he is on path to becoming and the Timberwolves pick turns out to be a top three pick, it is hard to say that the Clippers made a bad trade. They kept Paul out of the Lakers grasp and then paired him with Blake Griffin.

Likely Starting Five and Key Bench Players:

PG- Chris Paul
SG- Chauncey Billups
SF- Caron Butler
PF- Blake Griffin
C- DeAndre Jordan
Bench- Eric Bledsoe/Mo Williams
Bench- Randy Foye

That starting five can compete with any other five in the league, and it is possible that Blake Griffin hasn't come close to hitting his ceiling yet. The bench is weak, especially right now without Kaman, but the jury is still out, because the Clippers are not done dealing in this hectic shortened free agency period.

Los Angeles Clippers Trade Grade: B+


New Orleans Hornets:


Yes the Hornets lost a perennial all-star and possibly the best point guard in the game, but the assest's they got in return should give hope to Hornets fans, and potential owners, and they have David Stern to thank for that. While what David Stern did by rejecting the original trade offer that Hornets GM Dell Demps accepted from the Lakers was the 100% incorrect thing to do in my opinion it did pay off in the end for the Hornets. After putting a stop on the deal that would have sent Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, and Kevin Martin to the Hornets, Stern and the NBA basically took over all negotiation duties from Dell Demps. While Odom, Scola and Martin are all good to very good players, in reality what were they really going to bring to the Hornets? One or two good seasons of ball before they moved on to other places is the likely answer. Instead Stern was able to grab a budding superstar in Eric Gordon, a potential defensive stud in Al-Farouq Aminu, and potentially a top five pick in next years loaded draft class. They also got Chris Kaman, although it seems likely that either he or Emeka Okafor will be on the move before the start of the season.

So instead of getting three veteran players that didn't fit in with the Hornets needs at all, they got a keeper at shooting guard, a potential keeper at small forward and another potential young game changer with the Timberwolves pick. In addition to the Timberwolves pick it seems likely that the Hornets will not make the playoffs this year, which will give them an addition lottery pick. So Demps (if he still wants to be the GM of this team after what Stern did to him) and whoever purchases the Hornets from Stern and the NBA will have some young pieces and the freedom to choose two lottery picks. The departure of Chris Paul and David West will seriously hurt this team in the 2011-2012 season, but if managed correctly the Hornets could find themselves back in the playoff picture within the next two-to-three seasons. Chris Paul was not going to stay in New Orleans so a trade had to be made, and the Hornets made a hell of a trade.

Likely Starting Five and Key Bench Players:

PG- Jarrett Jack
SG- Eric Gordon
SF- Trevor Ariza
PF- Chris Kaman
C- Emeka Okafor
Bench- Al-Farouq Aminu
Bench- Carl Landry

Right now this is not a playoff team, and right now there is not even a full team in New Orleans. The Hornets will need to sign some more players soon to fill out their roster. A core of Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, and two 2012 lottery picks will be a fun one to watch in the next few years and you can credit David Stern for that.

New Orleans Hornets Trade Grade: A-


I'd chalk this trade up as a win-win. The Hornets took a bigger risk though as they will have to turn draft picks into good players to get back to being a playoff team, while the Clippers have their dynamic duo in Paul and Griffin. The Clippers are sure to make everybody's NBA League Pass now (even though they probably would have before the trade). I'd say that the Los Angeles Lakers were the clear losers of this trade and the whole CP3 saga. They missed out on Chris Paul and then dealt an unhappy Lamar Odom to the defending champions while getting nothing in return. Could their finally be a shift of power in LA?


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