Cavs owner Dan Gilbert does the most Dan Gilbert thing ever
A. Isaac 
For a brief time yesterday, the Los Angeles Lakers had traded away Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom for Hornets superstar Chris Paul. The trade seemed almost too good to be true not only because it involved the NBA’s marquee team, but because Paul, along with Dwight Howard, are the biggest pieces in this shortened free agency period.
One NBA owner, the Cavs’ Dan Gilbert, apparently felt the trade was so lopsided it was worthy of a stern letter to uh, David Stern.
Commissioner,
It would be a travesty to allow the Lakers to acquire Chris Paul in the apparent trade being discussed.
This trade should go to a vote of the 29 owners of the Hornets.
Over the next three seasons this deal would save the Lakers approximately $20 million in salaries and approximately $21 million in luxury taxes. That $21 million goes to non-taxpaying teams and to fund revenue sharing.
I cannot remember ever seeing a trade where a team got by far the best player in the trade and saved over $40 million in the process. And it doesn’t appear that they would give up any draft picks, which might allow to later make a trade for Dwight Howard. (They would also get a large trade exception that would help them improve their team and/or eventually trade for Howard.) When the Lakers got Pau Gasol (at the time considered an extremely lopsided trade) they took on tens of millions in additional salary and luxury tax and they gave up a number of prospects (one in Marc Gasol who may become a max-salary player).
I just don’t see how we can allow this trade to happen.
I know the vast majority of owners feel the same way that I do.
When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?
Please advise….
Dan G.
Judging from the language in the letter, this was NOT supposed to be made public. Although Gilbert seems to be the lone assassin in this nixed trade mess, I’d venture a guess that Stern received several calls from displeased owners. But it’s just fitting that the man who made ComicSans famous with his epic LeBron rant is thrust into the spotlight as the NBA’s, Dr. Evil. Too fitting in fact. Dan Gilbert as the bad guy seems too easy. Think about that for a few minutes and get back to me.
That aside, this trade and the subsequent overrule by the league serves as a dark day for the NBA. And for a league that’s fighting a reputation problem among its fans, it couldn’t have come at a worse time.
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