by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni
With the Los Angeles Clippers visiting the Dallas Mavericks last night, it was inevitable that Mark Cuban would be asked about the controversial Chris Paul trade to the Clippers.
Even more predictable, was that the Mavericks’ owner would deliver an impassioned, brutally honest response.
Mark Cuban blasted the NBA for its handling of the Chris Paul situation when he was still a New Orleans Hornet, expressing opinions about the deal that are shared by many, but rarely discussed so publically by NBA folks.
From the Star-Telegram:
“I don’t think it was about the Lakers, per se,” Cuban said Monday night. “I think it was just the way they did the deal, which was ridiculous. I don’t think it was about which team. I think it was the fact that, even with the Clippers, we just went through this whole (new collective bargaining agreement) and said the incumbent team still has the advantage and then the team the league owns (fades) out, and look how it’s worked out for them.”
The financially-strapped Hornets are being run by the NBA. And on Dec. 14 they eventually traded Paul and two first-round draft picks to the Los Angeles Clippers for Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu. “Bad management gets you bad results,” Cuban said. “It’s hard to judge any trade until it’s done. It’s about the concepts involved and the integrity of what we went through for the CBA. That’s what it’s all about. (The NBA office) screwed the pooch either way. The whole idea about having most of these rules is that you’d have an advantage and wouldn’t have to trade people.”
The Chris Paul trade fiasco will continue to be a sore point for everyone but the Los Angeles Clippers and their fans, becoming increasingly worse as the team improves going forward.
Mark Cuban can probably expect a hefty fine from the League for speaking out of turn, but I don’t think he’ll mind too much.
