http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/217582/NBA_Wanted_Rockets_To_Also_Include_Lowry_Patterson_For_Gasol

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When the Hornets, Lakers and Rockets returned to the negotiating table after an initial Chris Paul trade was rejected, the NBA demanded that Kyle Lowry and Patrick Patterson be included in Houston's offer.

At that point, they would finally be given Pau Gasol.

Lowry, Patterson, Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and Goran Dragic, the NBA's asking price to route Gasol to the Rockets, would have represented five of their top six players.

Via Adrian Wojnarowski/Yahoo! Sports

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Talk about a ridiculous demand. Nearly the entire starting line-up PLUS their last lotto pick and Dragic? What the heck was Stern thinking with this kind of demand?

It's really a shame. After all of the great things Stern has done for this league, this is what he'll be remembered for.

If you read the full Woj article, he makes some interesting points, especially the questions on the whole bidding process for amnestied players, specifically for Billups.

Basically, the Clips didn't want to give up Gordon, until they were the highest bidder for Billups, and the people that vetoed the Lakers/Rockets/Hornets trade are the ones looking at the amnesty bids.

If nothing else, it looks really bad.

Oy. No wonder Morey thought about throwing in the towel. That's asinine.

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After all of the great things Stern has done for this league, this is what he'll be remembered for.

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No he won't. Theoretical trades blow over quickly.

Great things? He is a horrible man An arrogent, liar and cheat)and a worse comish. He has mishandled almost everything form the get go, starting with marketing players over teams and especially unproven young stars over guys like Malone, Ewing, Robinson and Olajuwon. Easily the worst sport leader on the last 20 years. Makes Selig look competent by comparison.

I heard that the Clippers bid for Billups was $2,000,032, and the next highest bid was $2,000,000.

Just seems fishy.

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starting with marketing players over teams

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Yea so. This made the sport more popular. The NBA is a business. It's a star driven league. They are the ones that sell the jerseys. And if you think the NBA is the only one that has taken this approach, you're high.

And by the way, you do realize that the league was close to going bankrupt before he took over right?

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Theoretical trades blow over quickly.

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Wasn't theoretical.

'Theoretical' was a bad term. 'Trade that didn't happen' is what I should have said admittedly, but my point still stands.

The commisioner who has single-handedly made the game a global game and grown the league many times over what it was when he began won't be remembered for a single blocked trade.

I'll acknowledge this is Texags though and hyperbole should be expected on my part.

[This message has been edited by ATM9000 (edited 12/17/2011 9:42a).]

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It's really a shame. After all of the great things Stern has done for this league, this is what he'll be remembered for.

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Stern sucks. Over expanded. Only better than the NHL.

Yea, maybe an exaggeration on my part. But I still think it will tarnish a great career.

Just about anyone could have been a successful commish during the Bird, Magic, Jordan years. Look at the mess it's in now.

Look how the NFL boomed when Jerry Jones came in and Took over the Cowboys. Once the NFL owners saw he wasnt crazy started following his lead in marketing and promotion.

When Cuban came in to the NBA Stern fought any change from Cuban even after it proved successful.

Even before the championship Dallas fans knew Cuban loved the Mavs as much as they did. Stern didn't want owners to connect with the fans.

I also pretty sure Stern rigged the lottery for teams that needed a star. All those years of setting the record for missing the playoffs and 3 or 4 years of having the worst record the Mavs never won the lottery. He rewards owners that are on his side and fights owners that aren't.

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Great things? He is a horrible man An arrogent, liar and cheat)and a worse comish. He has mishandled almost everything form the get go, starting with marketing players over teams and especially unproven young stars over guys like Malone, Ewing, Robinson and Olajuwon. Easily the worst sport leader on the last 20 years. Makes Selig look competent by comparison.

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Stupid statements. Stern has been one of the best commissioners in any sport. Look at the growth of BRI under his tenure compared to the other sports.

I think that his trade veto was ridiculous, but for the future of the team, the Hornets are in a better position than they would have been.

Kaman and Gordon and possibly the top pick in the draft is a whole lot better than the crap they got. Stern has to worry about selling that team and a late 1st round pick, plus two years of overpaying KMartin, plus four years of overpaying Luis Scola and Lamar Odom leaving after the season does not set New Orleans up for improving and getting better.

Having a young player that may become a superstar, a top 5 pick and cap space is a lot better than having Martin and Scola for the next couple years clogging up the team.

stern covered up the Jordan issue- not just gambling his whoring was 1 million times worse than anything that Tiger Woods did-

covered up Magic being a gay, Isaih Thomas pretty much raping women to compensate for magic being gay
raping seattle yet giving New Orleans a team

yes Stern is awesome-

None of that is as egregious as having a meaningless exhibition game decide home field advantage in the playoffs.

How is it a meaningless game if it decides the home court advantage for the playoffs?

In terms of sports leadership, Stern ranks only behind Sepp Blatter in terms of incompetence for me. I dont care what the guy did 10 years ago. He's outlived his worth in office. He's out of place now, a relic of an era gone by.