Mark Cuban Shares Thoughts On How NBA Handled Chris Paul Trade

by SB Nation NBA News on Feb 14, 2012 1:30 PM CST in News

(SB Nation Los Angeles, Robert Clark) Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban isn't known for keeping his mouth shut and that continued last night when Cuban made comments regarding how the NBA handled the eventual Chris Paul trade to the Los Angeles Clippers. Here is what Cuban told ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon

"You're better off just taking the camp room, or whatever," Cuban said.

Cuban was against the Paul trade to the Los Angeles Lakers as well. It isn't so much he wanted Paul on the Mavs, he just felt the league handled its first major situation post-new CBA poorly.

"I don't think it was about the Lakers, per se," Cuban said before the game. "I think it was just the way they did the deal, which was ridiculous. I don't think it was about which team. I think it was the fact that, even with the Clippers, we just went through this whole (collective bargaining agreement) and said the incumbent team still has the advantage and then the team the league owns (wimps) out. And look how it's worked out for them... Bad management gets you bad results."

The Hornets are the worst team in the Western Conference at 5-23 and the deal they made looks worse and worse by the day as the prime pieces they received in return - Eric Gordon and Minnesota's draft pick - don't look so attractive anymore. Gordon could leave when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer and Minny's pick won't be as high of a lottery pick as people originally thought.

The Clippers are of course happy to have Paul and are one of the best stories in the league. But Cuban's point still remains. And as time moves on, he may be proven more and more correct.

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I wonder if Stern fines him again

and the refs magically find the phantom fouls again in the playoffs. Oh well…

What was the original package? “The proposed trade would have sent Paul to the Lakers, Pau Gasol to the Rockets and furnished New Orleans with three top-flight NBA players in Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and Lamar Odom as well as playoff-tested guard Goran Dragic and a 2012 first-round pick that Houston had acquired from the Knicks.” Well, the Rockets would have gotten Gasol for 3 more years; the Hornets would have had Kevin Martin (age 29) for this year and next year; Luis Scola (age 31) through 2015; and Lamar Odom (age 32) for a team option next year." These are all nice players, but they’re old.

And the return the Hornets got instead? Chris Kaman (age 29) is gone after this year; Eric Gordon is signed through next year; and Al-Farouq Aminu (age 21) is signed to a team option for 2015. The Timberwolves pick in 2012 may not be the # 1 overall pick, but it’ll still help build a team. If the season ended today, the Hornes pick 12th I think…paired with their original pick (currently projected at # 2). They could end up with Harrison Barnes and a Center (Meyers Leonard or Tyler Zeller).

I wonder if the Hornets would be better off trying to trade Kaman to a contender for something valuable; but I’ve read that he’s not going anywhere. Either way, I don’t see a worse return from the second trade, if you remove Kaman and Odom from their contracts for next year…IF Gordon signs an extension. Gordon, Aminu, and Minnesota’s pick vs. Martin and Scola. You’ve got youth, athleticism, and upside vs. age and proven commodities. If I’m the Hornets, I’d rather have Column A. But I get Cuban’s point, and I do think Stern mishandled the situation.

"Look at our current situation with that camel f$%ker over in Iraq. Pacifism is not something to hide behind."

by Walter Sobchak on Feb 15, 2012 10:13 AM CST reply actions