If at first you don’t succeed, pry, pry and pry again. According to reports the Lakers are still trying to pry Chris Paul from the vice grip of Dictator Stern.
Supposedly the NBA has given New Orleans Hornets’ general manager Dell Demps the “green light” to reopen trade talks for the franchise point god. Now what exactly that means is anybody’s guess.
There are some rumblings claiming the Hornets or Stern or Dan Gilbert or whoever is running the New Orleans franchise is looking for a little more youth in return for Paul. Ok…so toss in Devin Ebanks and be done with it.
How Stern can continue to avoid the elephant in the room is amusing. There is no way to justify nixing a trade that returns three starters and one upcoming guard in exchange for one franchise player. Let’s not kid ourselves. It is impossible to get equal value for a franchise player. Remember all the talk of how the Lakers were hosed when they dealt Shaq? Or how about how Memphis got fleeced in the Pau Gasol deal? At least the Hornets would have received enough talent to not become the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Whatever the case, keep your ears to the street. I’m sure we’ll hear plenty of rumors, speculation and more Stern posturing in the coming days.