In the deal, Houston would ship Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, and Goran Dragic to the Hornets and receive Pau Gasol in return from the Lakers. Los Angeles would also have to send Lamar Odom to the Hornets, and this is about as massive as these things get. Big names, giant moves, heaps of questions, and 17 days between now and the Christmas evening which will see the Lakers tip their season off against the Chicago Bulls.
And at least 17 days to try and figure out just what the New Orleans Hornets and Houston are after, here. Unless they're not finished trading. The same goes, honestly, for the Lakers and Rockets This deal puts some amazing talent in interesting places, but leaves plenty to be desired for each team.
The Hornets had to dump Paul, and quickly. They had to attempt to get something for the All-Star before training camp started on Friday, before the questions rolled in, and before Paul had to sit through media day on December 12th. Yahoo! first reported last week that Paul's agent informed the Hornets (as of Thursday afternoon, players were still allowed to speak to team officials) that he would not be signing a contract extension, essentially a non-request trade request because asking for a trade publically would result in a fine for Paul.
From there, the Hornets got to work. Ignoring New York, thinking about Boston, and considering offers from the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors. When the Clippers and Warriors wouldn't budge on sending Eric Gordon or Stephen Curry to New Orleans, the Hornets just about ran out of good options.
But this? New Orleans just traded for one of the most versatile big men in the game, but Odom has to go and quickly. Scola, perhaps just as soon if not sooner -- and I have unending respect for those two as players. Still, you don't start a rebuilding process by trading for two guys in their 30s making nearly $9 million a year.
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