2013 NBA Offseason Happenings

[Lee Noire]

According to multiple sources the Clippers killed the deal with the Celtics over one damn draft pick. Boston wanted 2 no. 1 picks and Jordan for Garnett and Rivers. This after Boston backed off Bledsoe, then backed off of those contracts they wanted off the books as well.

Just as the Clips look like they are turning around they do this? It reeks of Donald Sterling, worst owner in sports. I'm a Clipper fan for life but my God.

To be fair, I'm not quite sure the deal is nearly as dead as it's hyped up to be. The exact same thing happened with the CP3 trade - the deal getting killed over the asking price - but both sides settled down and eventually compromised.

Ultimately, this deal not getting done would hurt the Celtics a LOT more than it hurts the Clippers. Doc probably isn't coming back to Boston no matter what, leaving them scrambling for a coach, and they will risk losing KG and Pierce for nothing. Then they'd be forced to face the prospect of rebuilding with a bunch of bad contracts on the books and having got nothing in return for Doc, Pierce, or KG - either that, or they all stay and the Celtics continue paying extremely high payrolls for mediocre teams over the next three years. Meanwhile, the Clippers could just hire another coach and make other moves. I'd be very happy with Brian Shaw, for example. If Ainge is smart, he'll realize the Celtics will be a complete disaster zone unless he swallows his pride and agrees on a deal. Otherwise, good luck to them.

I'm also not buying the idea that CP3 staying with the Clippers was contingent on this deal in particular - otherwise, common sense dictates that it would have been done already. The fact that they're comfortable playing hardball on an extra first-round pick suggests they have plenty of different CP3-approved options on the table to reload the roster.

That makes a lot of sense. I guess I'm just stuck in that "if there is a way to screw up, they probably will" mindset. I also agree that CP3 stays whether this happens or not. I just felt a move like this shows that the front office is ready to play with the big boys and not just happy to be there.

[Lights Out]

According to Arash Markazi on ESPN Radio, the Clippers already had a 5-year, $35mil contract fully drawn up for Doc, but just didn't want to part with the extra pick because they would then have no first rounders for the next four years. They reportedly never budged from their initial offer of Jordan and one first-round pick, and that Ainge has kept caving in every time the Clippers have threatened to walk away. He also said there's still a chance the deal gets done. Also, Mark Heisler tweeted that CP3 is okay with the deal falling through.

If all that is true, I don't see how you can fault the Clippers' front office for not getting the deal done on Ainge's terms. They have the leverage here, and they've done a good job of refusing to be bullied into a bad deal.

[Lee Noire]

Well that's the key word there, IF it's true then you are right the Clippers are just being smart business wise. Lets say by next week, who do you think is coaching the Clippers Lights Out?

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Blake Griffin seems like a perfect Atlanta Hawk to me.

[dfwabel]

Could the Rockets afford Paul and Howard? I've heard them connected to Howard, maybe they could bring in CP also.

The Rockets played this season with the lowest payroll in the NBA. At the trade deadline, when they traded, Patrick Patterson, Toney Douglas and backup center Cole Aldrich to the Kings to get Thomas Robinson, Francisco Garcia and Tyler Honeycutt, they gained the cap room to get a second "max player" since Garcia and Honeycutt have expiring contracts. They created more room with trading Marcus Morris to PHX for a 2nd round pick.

Hoopshype is the most consistent in displaying contracts and payroll.

[dbadefense1990]

If that happenes, they should merge, Charlotte, Orlando & washington for 5-7 years, then they MIGHT have a small chance of being in the 8th seed race.

I could get behind the Charlandington Wiznetics...

Why do I think this is a joke from "Futurama?"

[Lights Out]

Lets say by next week, who do you think is coaching the Clippers Lights Out?

If the deal for Doc doesn't get revived, then it's looking like Lionel Hollins or Brian Shaw, I think.

[Lee Noire]

I still can't believe Hollins is available. I think it will be Shaw as well, but hopefully the stars align and they get Doc.

[Lights Out]

Well, the Doc deal got revived, both teams agreed on a deal, and then (surprise!) David Stern turned it into a complete :censored:storm for the league today by blocking the trade, arguing that this would be essentially an impermissible trade for a coach due to the KG-for-DJ aspect being combined with Doc's compensation, while also claiming that just doing the trade in two seperate parts still wouldn't be legal.

Unlike the CP3 veto, which was legal under NBA rules (Stern owned the Hornets and therefore was allowed to veto any trades involving them if he thought he was getting a bad deal), the reasons for this veto don't seem to match up with anything in the CBA. The CBA does not ban trading for coaches, and in situations like this, it actually allows teams to split the trade up into multiple transactions as long as there's a period of time in between each one. Stern apparently doesn't know the rules of the league he's been running for decades... I'd expect this kind of crap from Gary Bettman, but from a smart guy like Stern, this is a shocker.

[Lee Noire]

Been listening to this all morning on ESPN LA 710 and you're right for Stern to make this call seems rather strange. I got a chuckle out of people saying its karma for the CP3 deal that brought him to the Clips in the 1st place. That's just crazy talk.

[Fox]

david stern

[Lights Out]

Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers are having a press conference at noon ET today, apparently. I'm thinking the deal is probably off the table for good now thanks to Stern's BS.

[Lee Noire]

Yup just heard that too. Pretty much puts a nail in the coffin in that deal. I don't see Doc on that stage saying something like " I've had a great run here and I love Boston, but it's time for me to move on." This is going to be "I know a lot has been said but I'm staying here." Damn.

[Lights Out]

And now, since this trade drama will never, ever come to an end, the Celtics apparently postponed the press conference until Monday.

I thought the Dwightmare last year was bad, but this is ten times worse.

[chuckymack]

It seems to me that David Stern is a bit too protective of his small market clubs (not that Boston's a particularly small market). I agree with his intentions, but vetoing trades year in and year out sends the wrong message, I think.

At some point, he's just got to let these idiots run themselves into the ground. After all, THEY'RE the ones shipping all their assets to LA and New York -- not him. Playing 'Roster Cop' isn't going to make any of these teams any more (or less) competitive -- it's just going to discourage trading as a whole.

[alxy8s]

And now, since this trade drama will never, ever come to an end, the Celtics apparently postponed the press conference until Monday.

I thought the Dwightmare last year was bad, but this is ten times worse.

Celtics have called off the press conference. The trade isn't dead just yet!

[Lights Out]

It'll be interesting to see what happens next if the Doc part of the deal goes through. Presumably, the Clippers would then start trying to get Pierce and KG - would Stern really step in again?

[vmd9]

Fire Doc Rivers

[Lee Noire]

It'll be interesting to see what happens next if the Doc part of the deal goes through. Presumably, the Clippers would then start trying to get Pierce and KG - would Stern really step in again?

Hope not but I wouldn't be surprised.

[OnWis97]

I wonder to what degree Stern has molded Silver. Stern did a great job with a fledgeling league in the 1980s, but sometimes I view him as out of control; his arrogance has overwhelmed him and he's pretty disinterested in input from anyone.