Yes, the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers used the plural. And with Chris Paul still brooding in New Orleans and with Dwight Howard in damage control mode in Orlando, and with the Los Angeles Clippers dance with the Hornets suffering from fits and starts, we are sort of back in the same place we were six days ago when commissioner David Stern turned the NBA on its head. The Lakers no longer have one of the trade assets that would
Billups claimed by Clippers, plus other NBA news
With their trade talks for Chris Paul in the dead/alive/dead/alive/possibly-pending stage, the Los Angeles Clippers claimed guard Chauncey Billups off waivers today, then matched the Golden State Warriors’ $43.2 million offer sheet for DeAndre Jordan. And what about that threat from Billups to retire if something like this happened? Let’s just say he has $14.2 million reasons to show up in camp — along with a threat from the league office. From David Aldridge of NBA.com: “The NBA sent an e-mail to teams
‘Melo Can Empathize With Chris Paul
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Carmelo Anthony can relate to Chris Paul. A year ago, the ‘Melo Drama hung over the NBA like a dark cloud. Now, the Paul sweepstakes –along with the Dwight Howard affair — threatens to dominate the NBA headlines for the upcoming season. Yet while Anthony was only involved in one successful trade, to the Knicks, Paul has already been involved in a failed trade to the Lakers and another stalled trade to the Lakers’ poor stepchild, the Clippers. The Clippers have reportedly offered center Chris Kaman, backup guard Eric
Hubbard column: Stern gives players a reason to stop smiling
When he visits NBA arenas during the season, David Stern often makes a grand entry into each team’s locker room before the game to mingle with the fellows, perhaps giving them a brief but very inspiring pep talk and showing them the king has his common-man side. Usually, the commissioner is welcomed with smiles and handshakes and appreciation. When you have a leader who helped the average salary balloon north of $5 million, it’s only proper to be respectful. Plus it’s
Silva Column: Rip Hamilton would be the right fit in Chicago
CHICAGO — One of the most talked about players at Bulls’ Media Day on Sunday wasn’t even on the roster – or at least not yet. Richard Hamilton commanded quite an amount of attention at the Berto Center, as the former All-Star guard awaits a buyout to be finalized with the Detroit Pistons. Once he clears waivers, presumably in the next 48 hours, Hamilton will be free to sign with any team, and multiple reports having him Chicago-bound. Based on the
Clippers are the CP3 flavor of the day
So it looks like Chris Paul night be headed to Los Angeles, Donald Sterling and David Stern permitting. The Los Angeles Clippers emerged early today as the leading contender to acquire CP3 in a trade, and if the reports out there are accurate, they are trying to get him without surrendering either of their two best players, Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon. It would be a deal that by anyone’s measure would be inferior to what the Hornets would have gotten from
Chris Paul fallout, and Deron Williams calls David Stern a “bully”
I am filling in for Chris Sheridan tonight. Hopefully this will go better than Brian Cardinal and Alex Ajinca filling in for Dirk Nowitzki. We applaud Deron Williams for his candor, but we also hope he doesn’t have to eat his words. Colin Stephenson of the Newark Star-Ledger has a story coming out of Nets practice today where Turkish legend Deron Williams called David Stern a “bully” and said he speaks to Dwight Howard “all the time.” “You’re fighting a bully, man,” Williams
Bryant rips Lakers for trading Odom
Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News quick-posted a story after Lakers practice, quoting Kobe Bryant on last night’s trade that sent Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks: “I don’t like it. To be honest with you, I don’t like it. I’ve known Lamar for a long time and for the team itself, he’s meant a lot. From a team chemistry standpoint, he was great at bringing guys together and things of that nature. I trust that management knows what