By Easton L
The big hot block buster trade deal recently announce between the LA Lakers, New Orleans
Hornets and the Houston Rockets, which would see premier point guard Chris Paul going to the Lakers and Pau Gasol going to Houston and the NBA 6 man Lamar Odom goint to the Hornets, is no longer on the table.
Apparently the Grinch aka Dan Gilbert, yes that same Dan Gilbert who cast the evil spell of Cleveland one season ago on his chosen one, “King James,” did not like this deal one bit. Yahoo published a letter, on Thursday, from Cavaliers owner Gilbert to Commissioner David Stern venting his frustration for Stern to block the trade. As you can imagine, Gilbert’s letter has not and will not go over too well.
In the email/letter Gilbert call the proposed deal for Paul “a travesty.”
“I just don’t see how we can allow this trade to happen,” wrote Gilbert, who went on to ask, “When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?”
I’d be remiss if I put all the blame on Gilbert. According to Fox Sports, he had help from other owners, including the Mavericks’ Mark Cuban.
Read The Complete Letter Below:
The complete letter, via Yahoo!, after the jump:
Commissioner,
It would be a travesty to allow the Lakers to acquire Chris Paul in the apparent trade being discussed.
This trade should go to a vote of the 29 owners of the Hornets.
Over the next three seasons this deal would save the Lakers approximately $20 million in salaries and approximately $21 million in luxury taxes. That $21 million goes to non-taxpaying teams and to fund revenue sharing.
I cannot remember ever seeing a trade where a team got by far the best player in the trade and saved over $40 million in the process. And it doesn’t appear that they would give up any draft picks, which might allow to later make a trade for Dwight Howard. (They would also get a large trade exception that would help them improve their team and/or eventually trade for Howard.) When the Lakers got Pau Gasol (at the time considered an extremely lopsided trade) they took on tens of millions in additional salary and luxury tax and they gave up a number of prospects (one in Marc Gasol who may become a max-salary player).
I just don’t see how we can allow this trade to happen.
I know the vast majority of owners feel the same way that I do.
When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?
Please advise….
Dan G.
