☆☆ 2012 NBA Finals ☆☆ The King has been crowned; Heat win 2012 NBA Finals! Bron Finals MVP.

[doublejs07]

Originally Posted by Just bLAzed

Originally Posted by MetroKid26

I swear to Goodness that everytime I see this .gif, I think of a baby deer. 
  

 

[duba169]

It's the NBA it doesn't have to make sense

 

[p mac one]

The Clippers, the only team left on the list, have a lot of young players and Minnesota’s unprotected No. 1 pick, potentially the most valuable chip anyone has to offer the Hornets.

Clippers officials talked to Paul for 90 minutes last week, with the Hornets’ permission.

People with knowledge of the Clippers’ plans said Paul was asked if he would forgo his opt-out next summer if he was not ready to commit to an extension. Paul answered that he would consider it, if the core Clippers remained.

Among the Clippers, that is never a given. Eric Gordon, eligible to sign an extension, has asked for a maximum deal. The third-year center DeAndre Jordan received a four-year offer sheet worth nearly $43 million from Golden State.


http://www.nytimes.com/20...rs-trade-odom-again.html

 

[seymore cake]

[h2]Source: Clippers seek Chris Paul deal[/h2]

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By Chris Broussard and Marc Stein
ESPN.com

The New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers submitted a multiplayer blockbuster deal to the NBA on Sunday that would send All-Star point guard Chris Paul to Los Angeles, a source with knowledge of the discussions said Monday.

But the trade as presented has one hitch: The league, which owns the Hornets, wanted Eric Bledsoe, while the Clippers want to keep their point guard, the source said.

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Layne Murdoch/Getty ImagesA trade for Chris Paul submitted to the NBA would cost the Clippers Eric Gordon, center Chris Kaman and forward Al-Farouq Aminu.

The deal would be done if the league hadn't asked for Bledsoe, according to the source.

The trade as submitted would cost the Clippers guard Eric Gordon, center Chris Kaman and forward Al-Farouq Aminu. It would also include Minnesota's first-round draft pick in 2012.

The Los Angeles Times, citing two sources familiar with the discussions, reported late Sunday the deal included Bledsoe, but the source told ESPN that is not so.

The Times' report said both parties were in the final stages of negotiations and that the NBA will likely review the deal Monday.

A source close to Paul said he has decided to pick up the option on his contract as part of the potential deal, meaning he would be in Los Angeles through at least the 2012-2013 season.

Paul's decision was what prompted the Clippers to put the pick they got from Minnesota in the deal, the source said.

The Clippers knew Paul was unlikely to sign an extension with any team that trades for him because the rules in place in the NBA's new labor agreement make it more advantageous for top stars to play the season out and then sign a longer deal in free agency, even if they're staying with the same team.

Sources told ESPN.com Sunday that the Clippers, in one scenario, merely wanted Paul to pick up the option at the time of the trade -- thus delaying his free agency by one year -- if they would cede one of their two most prized trade assets for Paul: Eric Gordon or a future No. 1 draft pick.

In a similar situation in February, Mo Williams agreed to pick up his option for the 2011-12 season to clinch the Clippers' deal with Cleveland that swapped Williams for Baron Davis.

[h4]Arnovitz: Griffin's Star Power Key[/h4]

Blake Griffin's presence could be the Clippers' biggest chip in luring Chris Paul to Los Angeles, ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz writes. Story

Sources said earlier Sunday that the Clippers -- if Paul agreed to do the same -- would be willing to reverse their previous stance and send either Gordon or the Minnesota pick to the Hornets because they'd know that Paul would be in place next to Blake Griffin for at least two seasons, removing the threat of trading for Paul and then watching him leave in free agency in July.

ESPN.com reported late Saturday that the Clippers had emerged as the "early front-runner" in the race to land Paul after the frustrated Lakers finally withdrew from three-team talks with the Hornets and Houston Rockets. One source close to the situation said early Sunday that New Orleans had asked the Clippers for Gordon, Kaman, Bledsoe, Aminu and at least two future first-round picks in exchange for Paul.

Sources say that the Clippers, meanwhile, are quietly confident that having Paul for the next two seasons will ultimately lead to a long-term arrangement, especially if L.A. manages to sign Griffin to an extension next summer. ESPN.com reported earlier this week that Gordon and the Warriors' Stephen Curry are the players most coveted by New Orleans in a potential Paul deal, but the Warriors have been pessimistic about getting the assurances about the future they need from Paul to surrender Curry.

The Hornets remained under pressure to find a palatable deal for Paul, who can become a free agent in July 2012 and has already told the franchise that he does not intend to sign an extension. In addition to New Orleans' natural desire to find a new home for Paul as quickly as possible to avoid the sort of soap opera that engulfed the Denver Nuggets last season until they traded Carmelo Anthony in February, league officials now technically in charge of the Hornets also know that the union has hinted at soon pursuing legal action on Paul's behalf if a new trade is not hashed out.

Paul spoke extensively with the union on Thursday, after Stern squashed the original three-team trade, about what legal options were available. The union planned to speak with Paul Sunday to gauge how he wants to go forward and how vigorously he may want to fight the league's ruling, sources said.

While Paul is despondent, sources say he also understands that a drawn-out battle with the league, whether in the courts or elsewhere, could lead to a heavy public backlash in New Orleans. But there is also a push within the union to sue the NBA if no trade is consummated by Monday, with possible claims of circumvention or collusion.

New Orleans officials are likewise crestfallen by the NBA's steady refusal to sign off on any trade construction presented by the Hornets, Rockets and Lakers that would have landed Paul in L.A. next to Kobe Bryant after NBA commissioner David Stern vetoed the teams' original trade Thursday.

 

[Deleted member 38182]

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Originally Posted by Just bLAzed

Originally Posted by MetroKid26

I swear to Goodness that everytime I see this .gif, I think of a baby deer. 

this #+##* said a @*+!### baby dead tho

 

[bigmike23]

The clippers deal sucks

 

[seymore cake]

Originally Posted by rck2sactown

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Originally Posted by Just bLAzed

I swear to Goodness that everytime I see this .gif, I think of a baby deer. 

this #+##* said a @*+!### baby dead tho

Dwights reaction is what makes it classic.

 

[ag 47]

 

[kevin cleveland]

The prospect of having two lottery picks is exciting... until I realize it's the Hornets that have to make them.

No Gordon would make it hilariously unacceptable, though.

 

[seymore cake]

^ either that or the AIDS got him...

Sidenote... This is why people think Broussard is a joke

@Chris_Broussard: Source insists LAC offering Gordon, Kaman, Aminu & Minny's pick for CP. LAC dont want Gordon's name reported in deal in case it don't happen

 

[p mac one]

The way Broussard's story plays out, sounds like some source got their Eric's mixed up. Would make much more sense that way. Of course, making sense has gone out the window a long time ago re: this trade. 

 

[CP1708]

I thought last offseason was wild, this one is going to do work on that one, and this one is only going to be 2 weeks long. 

 

What a weekend. 

  The season starts in 13 days, and I still have no idea where most guys are gonna end up.  This is crazy. 

Paul to the Clipps is awesome.  IF they keep Gordon.  Paul to Blake will always be good money, but need to have Gordon as well.  Hope it happens. 

Then Stern can retire from the game, and the league can move on. 

 

[franchise3]

Why did the TWolves sign JJ

. That pick included in the propose CP deal is pretty big, though. But not getting Gordon, smh

 

[buc em]

Originally Posted by P MAC ONE

The way Broussard's story plays out, sounds like some source got their Eric's mixed up. Would make much more sense that way. Of course, making sense has gone out the window a long time ago re: this trade. 

"Ohhhhhhhhh you meant Eric GORDON is the one that the Hornets want, my bad. I'll go back and edit my story"

 

[p mac one]

I honestly don't know would be more stupid, the league getting EJ and the pick yet holding out for Bledsoe, or the Clippers giving up that much while refusing to give up Bledsoe to close the deal.

 

[ohyeah10]

i swear david kahn is just joking around with the league. trying to compile as many point guards as possible. he better be trying to trade ridnour for something if he really is signing barea

 

[franchise3]

According to 'sources say' LAC doesn't want it to be known that Gordon is included, in case the deal falls through. They don't want another Odom situation to happen.

 

[hankmoody]

Thread jumped nearly 200 pages in a week.

 

[seymore cake]

I honestly hope they allow the Clippers to keep Gordon and still acquire Chris

Talk about a slap in the face to little bussy, it'll teach him about cutting off his nose to spite his face

 

[krazy88s]

Originally Posted by franchise3

According to 'sources say' LAC doesn't want it to be known that Gordon is included, in case the deal falls through. They don't want another Odom situation to happen.

Isn't that like shouting out a secret?

 

[you big dummy]

The league must be holding out for Eric Gordon, it doesn't make sense for them to hold out for Eric Bledsoe.


I hope the Clippers keep Gordon, Hornets are asking for way too much. That #1 pick and Kaman's expiring contract should be more than enough.

 

[essential1]

That is a terrible trade... Eric Gordon is a free agent at years end, which means Hornets lose him... Kaman is a free agent.. Makes way too much money, but will probably go to a contending team for half that salary...

The long lasting impact is CP3 for Aminu and a lottery pick..

This guy for CP3

 

[hankmoody]

^That's sounds great to me. A bunch of cap space and youth.

 

[illoquent aka dsk]

This guy is the man...

Mikhail Prokhrov to Vladimir Putin: You will lose.

MOSCOW -- Mikhail Prokhorov, one of Russia's richest tycoons and the owner of the New Jersey Nets basketball team, said Monday he will run against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in the March presidential election.
Prokhorov, whose wealth the Forbes magazine has estimated at $18 billion, has been cautious not to cross Putin's path in the past. But the tycoon's candidacy may now pose a serious challenge to Putin, whose authority has been dented by his party's poor showing in Russia's Dec. 4 parliamentary election and allegations of widespread fraud during the balloting.

Putin's party only won about 50 percent of that vote, compared to 64 percent four years ago, and the fraud allegations have allowed opposition parties to successfully mount massive anti-Putin protests in Russia.

"The society is waking up," Prokhorov said at the news conference he held in Moscow to announce his candidacy. "Those authorities who will fail to establish a dialogue with the society will have to go."

On Sunday, President Dmitry Medvedev promised on his Facebook page that the alleged vote fraud during the parliamentary election will be investigated. But Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, predicted Monday the probe will show that little vote fraud occurred and that it had no effect on the outcome.

"If you take all the cases of these alleged violations or whatever was published online, the total will be less than 1 percent of the overall number of votes," Peskov told The Associated Press in an interview. "And even hypothetically speaking, if they are all appealed in court, it will in no way affect the legitimacy of the election."

Peskov's comment signaled that Putin -- who served as Russia's president in 2000-2008 and only became prime minister because of term limits -- is holding firm, despite the protests, which have been the largest here since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people in Moscow and smaller numbers in more than 60 other cities protested election fraud and called for an end to Putin's rule.

Prokhorov, 46, said he hopes to win the support of Russia's growing middle class, which formed the core of Saturday's demonstrations. However, he said he agrees with only some of the anti-Putin and anti-government slogans that were shouted out at the rallies. He also did not say whether he plans to attend a follow-up protest in Moscow later this month.

He is one of several candidates who have said they will oppose Putin in the presidential election, including Communist chief Gennady Zyuganov, who has finished second in past presidential elections.

Prokhorov's presidential bid follows his botched performance in the parliamentary race when he formed a liberal party under tacit support of the Kremlin, then abandoned the project under what he called Kremlin pressure.

He has personally blamed Vladislav Surkov, a presidential deputy chief of staff, for staging a mutiny within that party's ranks. "I can solve that problem by becoming his boss," Prokhorov said, referring to Surkov's possible opposition to his presidential bid.

Prokhorov now faces the immediate challenge of collecting the 2 million signatures required to qualify for the presidential race. A number of opposition candidates and parties in the past could not even run for parliamentary seats because their applications were turned down for technical reasons.

Prokhorov also is not the first of Russian's super-rich to have ambitious political goals. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, has been in prison since 2003 on tax evasion and embezzlement charges that are widely seen as a punishment for having challenged Putin's power.

The New Jersey Nets owner said Monday he is not afraid that his political ambitions could harm his business or him personally. "I'm not doing anything illegal," he said.

The tycoon said he has never had a chance to meet with Putin or Medvedev to talk about his botched attempt to build a liberal party. But he expects the presidential campaign will help him build a new party -- this time not with the help of the Kremlin, but with the assistance of Russia's grass-roots activists.

Prokhorov, who made his fortune in metals and banking, became a majority stakeholder in the New Jersey Nets last year. He has since shown a willingness to travel in his quest to build a global fan base for the U.S. pro-basketball team, and he has make trades for top players.

@ the idea of the Russian PM being under David Stern. He's not gonna win though.
The bolded quote...BOSS!

 

[p mac one]

KBergCBS Ken Berger
Conflicting info out there about Gordon's involvement in Clippers' CP3 offer. Only passing on what I've been told: No Gordon in deal.

KBergCBS Ken Berger
Clips "have not, and will not" give up Gordon in a trade for Chris Paul, source says.