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UPDATE: We have confirmed that tonight’s whirlwind of events was initiated when David Stern rejected the second proposed deal between the Lakers, Rockets and Hornets. Via Yahoo! Sports:
In his desire to keep the All-Star point guard on the roster to maximize the league’s selling price of the team to potential owners, Stern has shot down two deals to send Paul to the Lakers.
A recent report from Ken Berger cited that the Hornets front office was in ‘collective shock’ when they were informed of Stern’s decision. Additionally, sources have told ESPN’s Chris Broussard that the Magic will ask for both Bynum and Gasol in exchange for Howard. We will continue to update this story as new information comes out.
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It’s been a wild 48 hours for Laker fans, and things may just be getting started. Before David Stern could pass down a decision on the proposed deal that would have landed Chris Paul in the purple and gold, according to ESPN, the Lakers have now backed out of the deal.
Instead, multiple sources are reporting that Lamar Odom will be packing his bags for the defending Champion Dallas Mavericks in exchange for the rather large ($8.9 million) trade exception the Mavericks just received when Tyson Chandler signed with the New York Knicks. Additionally, the Lakers are expected to receive the Mavs’ first-round pick in 2012, and possibly a second-rounder as well.
The trade exception essentially gives the Lakers $8.9 million in “trade money” that can be used in a future deal. The most obvious use of this exception would be for the Lakers to sweeten a potential trade by taking on a large contract another team was looking to shed from their books.
While the obvious speculation here is that the Lakers may be closer to getting Dwight Howard than reports have suggested, details are still coming out and nothing has been confirmed. We will continue to monitor this story and keep you up to date as information is made available.
Be sure to follow @LakerNation on Twitter for the latest, real-time updates.
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