As time grew closer to the start of NBA training camp, rumors began that the Lakers wanted to trade for CP3 (Chris Paul) and Dwight Howard. Trades that would have birthed a west coast “BIG 3″ that would rival an already established south beach version. Then on the eve of training camp the Lakers make a block buster trade sending Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol packing for Chris Paul in a 3 team deal. As the details of the trade began to surface it was clear the Lakers weren’t done, they where going after Dwight Howard too, using Andrew Bynum as major trade bait. The Lakers GM was proving that he was as agressive as his predecessor Jerry West, while using his latest GM Mastery trick on the NBA. Once the NBA Owners which happen to be together for a meeting caught wind of the trade details, it’s reported the NBA Owners applied pressure on David Stern to veto this trade. League Officials close to the situation stated:
“The owners half-pushed this, and Stern took it the rest of the way,”. “In the end, David didn’t like that the players were dictating where they wanted to go, like Carmelo had, and he wasn’t going to let Chris Paul dictate where he wanted to go.”
The Question is…Why let it go so far then recall the trade? Is Stern Exhibiting that he still has the power after a prolonged NBA Lockout? A New Orleans official stated (according to yahoo sports):
“We were all told by the league he was a trade-able player, and now they’re saying that Dell doesn’t have the authority to make the trade?” said an NBA executive who had periodic talks with New Orleans throughout the process. “Now, they’re saying that Dell is an idiot, that he can’t do it his job. [Expletive] this whole thing. David’s drunk on power, and he doesn’t give a [expletive] about the players, and he doesn’t give a [expletive] about the hundreds of hours the teams put in to make that deal.
“How do the Lakers explain this to Odom? How does Houston deal with the guys it just tried to trade? Scola and Martin are going to be pissed at them, and who knows how long that takes to get over? Explain to me how the league kills this Pau Gasol deal, but allows Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol?
“To me, this makes the league feel like it’s rigged, that Stern just does whatever Stern wants to do. He’s messed up the competitive balance of this league a lot worse by killing the deal, because you’ve completely destroyed the planning that New Orleans, Houston did and left them in shambles over this. I’ve never been so discouraged about this league, never so down.
“I mean, come on: Chris Paul is leaving New Orleans in 66 games. He’s gone. And what’s Dell Demps, and that franchise, going to have to show for it?”
