Wo war der KIA?
The Los Angeles Clippers plan to match the Golden State Warriors' offer sheet of four years and $40 million for center DeAndre Jordan, a league source said, a move that will practically force starting center Chris Kaman to seek a trade elsewhere, according to a second source.
A salary averaging $10 million annually is a breathtaking leap for a player who averaged seven points and seven rebounds last season, which was Jordan's third in the NBA -- for which he made less than $900,000.
It's also an extraordinary expenditure by normally tight-fisted owner Donald Sterling for a second-round draft pick.
But there are several reasons why keeping Jordan, listed as 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds, is money well spent at any price.
For one, he is good friends with the team's young cornerstone power forward Blake Griffin.
But sources also say New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul's interest in potentially being traded to the Clippers stems, in part, from the prospect of playing with Jordan, who is a younger, stronger version of Tyson Chandler, with whom Paul played for three seasons in New Orleans before Chandler was dealt in 2009 to the Charlotte Bobcats.
A source said when Paul made his decision last week he wanted to be dealt to the Lakers, the Clippers had finished a very strong second among his suitors, which also included the Boston Celtics and the Warriors.
The Clippers and the New Orleans Hornets were working vigorously Sunday night to consummate a blockbuster deal that would send All-Star point guard Chris Paul to Los Angeles to play for the Lakers' cross-town rivals, said two people with knowledge of the situation who were not authorized to speak on the matter.
The deal hasn't been completed, but both sides were in the closing stages of the negotiations.
The Clippers would send the Hornets center Chris Kaman, backup second-year guard Eric Bledsoe, second-year forward Al-Farouq Aminu and the No. 1 draft pick they got from the Minnesota Timberwolves that is unprotected in the 2012 draft, considered to be one of the best in recent years.
Clippers owner Donald Sterling and the NBA have to sign off on the deal.
When the Clippers and Hornets talked about a deal involving Paul last week, New Orleans had expressed interest in Eric Gordon. However, the Clippers didn't want to part with the 6-foot-3 guard who turns 23 on Christmas Day, because they consider him one of the NBA's top-five shooting guards.
He is not part of the deal that is currently being discussed.
At least one Clippers player is telling people he's headed to New Orleans, according to source who has spoken with him.
Sam Amick
The aforementioned Clippers mystery man who I'm told is convinced he's being traded to NO, by the way, is Eric G...I mean, Eric Bledsoe.
Sam Amick
Also wen Gorden mit nach New Orleans geht dann macht sich die NBA eigentlich lachhaft das ganze Ding erneut abzulehnen... es wird spannend
Eigentlich ist das schon fast dreist von den Clipps. Die geben ja fast nichts außer dem Pick von Minn ab. Gordon muss mindestens noch dazu gepackt werden, mMn.