After NBA Commissioner David Stern decided to veto the trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Los Angles Lakers, chaos besieged the city. Fans were irate and the players involved were stuck in limbo.
Still hoping that the deal can go through, the Lakers, Hornets and Rockets have decided to appeal Stern’s ruling, ESPN’s Marc Stein reports. The teams hope that Stern will reverse his decision but there is no indication yet that he will let the trade go through.
The three teams are arguing that by rejecting the deal, the league is essentially coercing the Hornets to keep Chris Paul. He will not return to the team next season, so making this trade will at least give them some talent in exchange for Paul.
The NBA is essentially choosing where they would like Chris Paul to go to. It is clear that the league does not want Paul to go to a major market, but they have no right to determine that. There is no doubt that Paul will leave the Hornets after this season, and if the team wants to get something in return for their star, Stern and his staff should let it happen.
