The Chris Paul Relay

As we all know by now, the lockout has ended and the transactions started to roll! Almost every team made under the radar acquisitions but a handful of teams made a big splash! One of the biggest moves that happened was of course, the Chris Paul trade. It finally happened! After weeks of speculation and some offers that were negated by David Stern, the NBA has agreed to let Paul move. LA was the team that one the Paul sweepstakes. For all you Laker fans out there,  he'll be wearing purple and yellow!We're on the road to another championship! Just kidding.

 He actually joined forces with Blake Griffin and the rest of the Clipper gang. The Knicks, Nets, and Lakers were the other top runners in this marathon but they came up short. To be honest, I felt like the Clippers gave up WAY too much. I felt the same way when the Knicks got Carmelo Anthony last year. There was so much solid talent that were going Denver's way. This trade is the same. Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman, and Minnesota's UNPROTECTED 2012 first round draft pick were sent to New Orleans in exchange for Paul and a couple of second rounders in 2015. Yeah, I know Chris Paul is one of the best players in the NBA today but it does take more than one guy to win. Especially in a season like this, extra bodies are needed to fill the void a LOT this year.

Lets take a look at the Hornets side:

Eric Gordon is one of the upcoming young guards in this league! Did anyone even notice he averaged 22.3 points per game last year? I don't think so. Everyone was so focused on Blake Griffin's stellar "rookie" year but Eric Gordon quietly had one of the better seasons for any guard. He has been exceeding everyone's expectations and slowly progressing into the upper echelon of players. I thought the Clippers would have had a better team if they didn't give him up. He'll definitely be the key to the Hornets offense this upcoming season. As for Al-Farouq Aminu, the Hornets netted themselves another young, athletic player. He was drafted 8th overall in last year's draft. He didn't have a stellar rookie campaign but he showed flashes of what he could develop into. He's long, can stretch the floor, and play defense. Chris Kaman was the other guy in this trade. Even though he had an injury plagued year, I know he still has a LOT to offer. He's tough, can play amongst the best of 'em and has a soft touch around the rim. He's one of the best offensive big men in the NBA. Look's like they have a perfect replacement for Aaron Gray!Go Raptors! :D

AND. AND. AND. The Hornets also get the T-Wolves unprotected first round draft pick! WOW. With the Wolves roster right now, I don't see them making it far this season. This pick will give the Hornets a high end lottery pick for this upcoming draft! The can potentially snag someone like Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones, or some other top prospects. Crazy trade for New Orleans.

Trade Grade: A. We all knew Chris Paul was leaving. It was just all the matter of where and what the Hornets will get in return. This trade will make them better now and in the future.

And for the Clippers:

Chris Paul was the most prized guy in all the available guys other than Dwight Howard. The Clippers will be a better team but I just think they gave up too much of a price. But then again, Chris Paul is a superstar and opportunities to get a player of his caliber are rare. Chris Paul will make everybody on this squad better. His play-making and ball-handling skills are impeccable. It'll be "lob city" for the Clippers. The only thing that the Clippers need to do now is get overall depth. They have 4 point guards that are all worthy of being starters! Chris Paul is obviously the man there but everyone else is in a bubble. Newly signed Chauncey Billups will probably see time at the 2 but I don't see him doing all that well there. Mo Williams should be the next person moved on this Clippers team. They should trade him for depth. They need a legit SG and a backup big man. Ryan Gomes, Brian Cook, and Randy Foye won't fill the best needs at their respective positions. Mo will definitely bring in someone with value. And Eric Bledsoe is the 4th point guard here. He'll be a good backup and reliever for this team. His young legs will give a good spark off of the bench.

Trade Grade: A. Chris Paul is someone that could change a franchise in a blink of an eye. The price was steep but it is a definite upgrade. They need to work on getting rid of the logjam at the PG position for other positions. Other than that, this team will be exciting to watch this year.