sportsjunkie

After numerous declined trades by the NBA front office, led mostly by the wisdom of David Stern, the Los Angeles Clippers have finally put together a package that is worthy of the star point guard. Don't get me wrong, the other deals were worthy, but David Stern felt like the team could get more, and he was right.

The Hornets have acquired star guard Eric Gordon, veteran center Chris Kaman, and sophomore forward Al-Farouq Aminu. On top of that they managed to get Minnesota's first round pick from the Clippers, all in exchange for Chris Paul (who was slated to become a free agent next year) and two second round draft picks.

Grading the Deal:

Hornets: A+

These guys just turned an expiring contract into a franchise with a future. They also received a superstar in the making in Eric Gordon, who I believe to be one of the most underrated guards in the league. They also received front court help, and a draft pick that will surely be a top ten choice in a star filled draft class. The Hornets are set up to be contending for a championship in the near future, if they can make the right moves, and the right draft picks over the next couple of season, and I truly believe that. Great deal for the Hornets, and great justification by David Stern as to why he would decline any previous deals.

Clippers: A-

A lot of people would wonder why the Clippers would trade so much away for one player with questionable knees and no guarantee past the 2013 season. If you know the NBA, you know Chris Paul is the best player at his position. As a part of the deal, Paul agreed to pick up his option for next season, and the chances of him staying after that are quite high. This easily makes the Clippers a playoff team for the next two years, and if they accomplish anything in those playoffs, you know that Paul will stay. Furthermore, Clippers own a front court that finishes extremely well. Jordan and Griffin finished second and third in the NBA last year in dunks. With the addition of Chris Paul, there is no limit to the amount of easy baskets this team can score. It is actually quite scary to think about how to stop them. The Clippers have just set themselves up to be worth much more money with their star powered offense, and have also set themselves up to win now. If they can trade one of the players in their crowded backcourt for an additional big man, this could very well be your championship team in one of the next two years.