Yahoo!’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported late Friday that trade talks have resumed in the deal once designed to send Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers. In exchange the Houston Rockets were to receive the services of Pau Gasol, and the Hornets were set to acquire Lamar Odom, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic, Luis Scola and a 2012 first-round pick as compensation for CP3.
The following is the latest from Woj on where that deal currently stands:
“The New Orleans Hornets, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers have resumed negotiations in an attempt to find a way to complete a blockbuster trade that would send Chris Paul to L.A., league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
“All three teams are engaged,” one source told Y! Sports. “Not sure if it will work.”
The resumption of talks comes less than 24 hours after the three teams agreed on a trade only to have NBA commissioner David Stern veto it. Stern released a statement on Friday saying he blocked the trade because the league-owned Hornets were “better served with Chris in a Hornets uniform than by the outcome of the terms of that trade.”
After Stern refused Friday morning to reconsider his stunning decision to nullify the trade, the Hornets were allowed to return to talks with the Rockets and Lakers. Talks were ongoing Friday afternoon, sources said.”
I don’t have a rooting interest in the Lakers acquisition of Chris Paul, but I do have a rooting interest in the NBA. It looks bad enough that David Stern initially nullified this deal, but it will just be worse if it isn’t allowed to eventually go through in some capacity. I like competitive balance as much as the next guy, but sometimes you have to let things just happen the way the universe wants them too. Even if you thought you added enough bylaws into that CBA you typed up to prevent this sort of thing.
We’ll continue to keep you posted on this story as it develops. Meanwhile, the Rockets, Lakers and Hornets had practice today.
