With the understandable frenzy regarding the loss of a four-time All-Star from the New Orleans Hornets’ roster before the season began – referring, of course to the trade of Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers – the bigger loss was probably the departure of two-time All-Star power forward David West.

West, you will recall, signed as a free-agent with the Indiana Pacers after opting out of the final year of his contract last summer with the Hornets. Coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament, West was hoping to find a situation where he could win.

Indiana, he figured, was his best fit, and he helped lead the Pacers to a third-seeding in the Eastern Conference playoffs and a 2-1 edge over the Orlando Magic in the current series. West is fully recovered and one of the reasons the Pacers will likely advance to round two.

Paul was a big loss for New Orleans, but West might have been bigger.

What do you think?

HOUSTON — Perhaps the light bulb should have illuminated that early December afternoon in the New Orleans Hornets’ Alario Center practice facility that this would be a season unlike any other. NBA players had just been given clearance, thanks to the end of the nearly five-month-long lockout, to report to their teams’ training centers to begin preparations for a 66-game season that would begin for 10 teams on Christmas Day and for the other 20 on Dec. 26.

As a media horde converged around All-Star guard Chris Paul, one of just a handful of New Orleans’ veterans who were under contract before the training camp roster would be fleshed out with long-shot free-agents and Developmental League prospects, little did anyone know it would be the last time Paul spoke publicly as a member of the Hornets.

Two weeks later, Paul was traded to the Clippers, and the Hornets officially found themselves in a rebuilding mode for a season that mercifully ended Thursday night with an 84-77 loss against the Rockets at Toyota Center. The Hornets led by 17 at one point, and for all but the final 1:18 of the game.

The Hornets finished tied for the third worst record in the league at 21-45.

For Hornets Coach Monty Williams, Thursday’s game was the end of a two-year stretch that he conceded he figured would be unusual.

“I knew coming in when I heard all of the speculation with Chris Paul that it wasn’t going to be a ‘normal’ two years,” said Williams, harkening back to the previous offseason when rumblings of an impending Paul exit began. “I didn’t want to admit that and tried not to say it. But when I took on the job, I kind of knew that. What happened in December only solidified that.

“It’s one thing to hear the forecast. But to feel the rain, it’s a different deal. When we got to December, I felt the rain. And it was one of those deals that I realized, ‘This is going to be a tough year.’ ”

In the days that preceded Paul’s departure and the arrival of Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman and a potential 2012 lottery pick in return, NBA Commissioner David Stern, acting in his role as Hornets’ owner, vetoed a trade that would have sent Paul to the Lakers in return for a group of veteran players that might have provided enough firepower for the Hornets to be a low-seed playoff contender this season.

The deal that finally was consummated no doubt could have made the Hornets a stronger team this season had Gordon not arrived with a right knee injury that eventually required arthroscopic surgery to remove loose cartilage and resulted in him being sidelined for 51 games.

With Gordon in the lineup nine times, New Orleans’ record was 6-3, and Gordon made the winning points in two of those six victories, including the season-opener Dec. 26 at Phoenix.

Gordon’s 20.6 scoring average led the team.

Gordon’s injury, while the most significant, certainly wasn’t the last, nor was it the only mystery that shrouded the Hornets.

Emeka Okafor went out with a sore left knee before the All-Star break and did not return, playing only 27 of 66 games. The extent of Okafor’s knee injury has never been revealed by the club.

Jason Smith missed 20 games with a concussion and Carl Landry was out for 23 with a second-degree medial collateral ligament sprain in his left knee.

Jarrett Jack missed the final 13 games with a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.

Kaman, who had an expiring $14 million contract, missed 11 games with bronchitis and a bruised left tibia, after being exiled from the team for a week at the end of January while, the team said, it attempted to trade him. When that failed, Kaman was welcomed back and he remained with the team after the March 15 trading deadline despite getting 10 double-doubles in the 20 games after his return.

Forward Trevor Ariza missed 17 games with injuries, then was benched for the final 10 games, and did not accompany the Hornets on this last road trip. The Hornets will no doubt seek to trade Ariza in the offseason.

On Jan. 4, the Hornets traded for swingman Xavier Henry, who arrived recovering from torn ligaments in his right ankle and did not play until Jan. 25.

Williams used an NBA-high 28 starting lineups this season, and the Hornets have had a total of 22 players on the roster.

Still, the Hornets registered 10 wins this year against teams who’ll be in the playoffs when they begin Saturday.

“This year was difficult, with the schedule and just having to pick up and start playing, and the trade we had at the beginning of the season,” said Jack, one of three co-captains. “There was just a bit of uneasiness. Getting used to the guys in training camp, only being in a week, two preseason games, free-agency was a week. It was crazy from the jump.

“You had to do things on the fly. That’s no excuse. Other teams had to deal with the same thing. It hasn’t been an easy-going season as far as being stable, being healthy or having the roster set. That was the most difficult part.”

Yet Williams said in some respects, this season has been more gratifying than his first, though admittedly a playoff run a year ago was exhilarating.

“Some older guys taught me a long time ago, if you’re teaching, then you’re not winning,” Williams said. “You’re only winning if you’re coaching. I felt we had to teach a lot this year, and that took away from our ability to win close games.

“Lately, I’ve felt we’ve been coaching a lot more, reminding guys as opposed to showing them the whole deal. That was the tough part: having to teach every day.”

Stats that stand out from the New Orleans Hornets’ 107-98 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers Sunday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

1.8. Steals total for Clippers point guard Chris Paul.

2.5. Hornets players that scored in double figures that included all of their starters.

3.13. Biggest lead the Hornets enjoyed in the fourth quarter before the Clippers made their comeback.

4.14. Points scored by the Hornets in the fourth quarter after scoring 32 in the third.

5. 43. Free throws attempted by the Clippers.

 +/- rating for every Hornet player

Landry -4

Gordon -6

Thomas +6

Vasquez -16

Henry +1

Belinelli -6

Aminu -8

Smith -3

Ayon -20

Dyson +8

Watkins+3

FIRST QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Clippers 32,  Hornets 27

Hornets points in the paint: 18.

Clippers points in the paint: 10.

Hornets second chance points: two.

Clippers second chance points: two.

Hornets fast-break points: four.

Clippers fast-break points: zero.

Hornets biggest lead: one.

Clippers biggest lead: 11.

Times tied:one.

Hornets leading scorer: Greivis Vasquez, six.

Clippers leading scorer: Blake Griffin, 12.

SECOND QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Hornets 25, Clippers 25

Hornets points in the paint: six.

Clippers points in the paint: eight.

Hornets second chance points: five.

Clippers second chance points: five.

Hornets fast-break points: seven.

Clippers fast-break points: two.

Hornets biggest lead: zero.

Clippers biggest lead: 10.

Times tied: zero.

Hornets leading scorer: Eric Gordon, eight.

Clippers leading scorer: Mo Williams, five.

THIRD QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Hornets 32, Clippers 17

Hornets points in the paint: 16.

Clippers points in the paint: eight.

Hornets second chance points: four.

Clippers second chance points: zero.

Hornets fast-break points: one.

Clippers fast-break points: four.

Hornets biggest lead: 11.

Clippers biggest lead: five.

Times tied: two.

Hornets leading scorer: Al-Farouq Aminu, 12.

Clippers leading scorer: Chris Paul, 11.

FOURTH QUARTER BREAKDOWN

Quarter score: Clippers 33, Hornets 14

Hornets points in the paint: six.

Clippers points in the paint: eight.

Hornets second chance points: zero.

Clippers second chance points: two.

Hornets fast-break points: zero.

Clippers fast-break points: zero.

Hornets biggest lead: 13.

Clippers biggest lead: nine.

Times tied: one.

Hornets leading scorer: Vasquez, four.

Clippers leading scorer: Paul, 13.

New Orleans Hornets

My favorite NBA team is the New Orleans Hornets and my least favorite is the Los Angeles Lakers. Needless to say, I am amped whenever the Hornets face the Lakers. Since moving to New Orleans, the Hornets have won many inspirational games against the Lakers. Take a look back at the top five New Orleans Hornets wins over the Lakers.

5. 11/7/2003: New Orleans Hornets def. Los Angeles Lakers 114-95

In the 2003-04 NBA season, Los Angeles got off to a 5-0 start. But they suffered their first defeat at the hands of the Hornets. New Orleans got off to a fast start and never looked back. Baron Davis had a great game with 23 points and 12 assists. Kobe Bryant on the other hand was completely stifled as he was held to a scant 11 points.

4. 1/6/2009: New Orleans Hornets def. Los Angeles Lakers 116-105

Although the Lakers won the 2009 NBA Finals, that didn’t stop the Hornets from posting a big win on Los Angeles in the Staples Center that season. Although Kobe Bryant put up 39 points that day, the real stars played for New Orleans. Chris Paul scored 32 points and dished out 15 assists while David West scored an incredible 40 points.

3. 11/6/2007: New Orleans Hornets def. Los Angeles Lakers 118-104

The 2007-08 NBA season is the greatest Hornets’ season since moving from Charlotte. After relocating back to the Big Easy, they got off to a fast 4-0 start. Their fourth win to start the season came against the Lakers in Los Angeles. Chris Paul had an amazing 21 assists and Peja Stojakovic scored 36 points on 10-13 three-point shooting.

2. 4/24/2011: New Orleans Hornets def. Los Angeles Lakers 93-88

Of course, their two greatest wins over the Lakers came in the 2011 NBA Playoffs. Chris Paul’s final win as a Hornet was one of the greatest games he ever played. While Kobe Bryant scored 17 points on 5-18 shooting, Chris Paul posted a triple-double with 27 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds as New Orleans tied Los Angeles 2-2.

1. 4/17/2011: New Orleans Hornets def. Los Angeles Lakers 109-100

The only reason I ranked this game higher than the previous is because as the series opener, it served notice to Los Angeles that they were in for a fight. This game may be my favorite Hornets’ win ever. Jack Nicholson and company must have been in disbelief in Los Angeles as New Orleans took a 1-0 series lead thanks to Chris Paul’s 33 points.

Patrick Michael was born in New Orleans and currently resides in the Big Easy. A loyal New Orleans NBA fan, Patrick was a diehard New Orleans Jazz fan and now cheers for the Hornets. Patrick was in the New Orleans Arena the night the Hornets were one win away from the Western Conference Finals.

Source

“New Orleans Hornets Franchise Index,” basketball-reference.com

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My question is: Where is the optimism? I know losing Chris Paul was a major blow to many in the Hornets community, however I look at it as a clean slate to form a new era for the New Orleans Hornets. With the new lease agreement, impending ownership, future lottery picks, and young talent on this team that I think can simply not be ignored there is a bright future ahead for the franchise. This frustrating season has lead many to compare it to the dismal year before the drafting of Chris Paul, however the season of Dickau and Nailon did not offer any pieces for the future, just fillers. This Hornets team is developing a fine bench in Vasquez, Henry or Belinelli, Aminu, Ayon, and Smith which was formerly a major Hornets weakness. Gordon’s potential resigning, the lottery picks, and cap space to spend on free agents that could be infused into this young, energetic bunch leaves me with a great level of optimism. Where is it everywhere else?

ORLANDO, Fla. — Though the NBA nixed two earlier trades that would have sent All-Star point guard Chris Paul to the Lakers, Paul said he left the Hornets on good terms before he ultimately was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Since the blockbuster December trade, Paul said he remains in contact with both general manager Dell Demps and Coach Monty Williams.

“Dell was unbelievable throughout that entire situation,’’ Paul said.“It wasn’t like I left and forgot – me and Dell have actually talked since then. I talk to my old coach, Monty, pretty often. I watch all of their games. I wish them the best.’’

With Chris Paul now officially a member of the Los Angeles Clippers the Hornets can move onto a new era. Their ownership and management situation is a mess, but the roster is actually in fairly good shape – especially for the future. Shooting guard Eric Gordon provides them with a go-to player offensively and center Chris Kaman is one of the league’s best inside the paint when healthy. They’ll be rooting against the Timberwolves heavily as they possess their unprotected first round pick. The Timberwolves’ struggles are almost just as important as their success. As far as their success goes, this team has had very little time to work together and will undoubtedly take a big step back this year. Down the line, though, they could rebound nicely considering they lost an All-NBA player in Paul.

5th Place, Southwest Division

- Yannis Koutroupis

If you ever have to trade a superstar, take a look at what the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Hornets have done as a model for how to proceed. Denver landed a ton of talent and made the playoffs without Carmelo Anthony, and the Hornets look really good heading into their first season without Chris Paul. Jarrett Jack is a very capable starter, Eric Gordon is an All-Star talent, Carl Landry is back, Trevor Ariza has a title to his credit and they have two starting centers in Emeka Okafor and Chris Kaman. Monty Williams has plenty to work with in preparing for the 2011-12 NBA season.

4th Place – Southwest Division

- Bill Ingram

Losing Chris Paul stings, but there is some hope for this franchise moving forward, and that’s way more important than whatever finish the team may end up with this season. For the record, that finish isn’t going to be good, but there are some promising players on this roster, starting with Eric Gordon, who could be among the top two or three shooting guards in the league in a few years. Re-signing Carl Landry was fortuitous because it means the Hornets still can put together a respectable NBA starting lineup. Outside of that respectable NBA starting lineup, however, things get pretty ugly. It’s not going to be a memorable year for the Hornets, at least not in a good way, but hopefully a couple of strong picks in a great draft can help turn things around for them in 2012-2013.

5th Place, Southwest Division

- Joel Brigham

The Chris Paul era is over in New Orleans. Instead of taking the risk of losing the All-Star guard in free agency next summer, the Hornets dealt him to the Los Angeles Clippers for a collection of young talent, size and draft help. But surprisingly lost in the commotion of the Paul saga was the defection of two-time All-Star forward David West to the Indiana Pacers in free agency. So instead of entering the 2012 season looking to add the final pieces to a solid duo of Paul and West, the Hornets have been thrust into rebuild mode – while still looking to find an investor to purchase the franchise. Let’s be clear, the Hornets aren’t devoid of talent by any stretch. Eric Gordon, Carl Landry, Emeka Okafor and Chris Kaman are all solid professionals who produce consistently. But without Paul and West in the lineup you can’t help but feel the Hornets’ momentum has been somewhat deflated.

4th Place, Southwest Division

- Lang Greene

After trading away Chris Paul, the New Orleans Hornets enter this season with low expectations. With that said, this is a talented team who may surprise some people. Nobody expected the Denver Nuggets to compete after trading away Carmelo Anthony last year, but they emerged as one of the best teams in the second half of the season. The Hornets will hope for similar results after dealing Paul and they may have the pieces to pull it off. A starting lineup of Jarrett Jack, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza, Carl Landry and Chris Kaman isn’t bad, especially when you consider that they’ll have a loaded bench that features Emeka Okafor, Willie Green, Marco Belinelli, Al-Farouq Aminu, Terrico White, DaJuan Summers and Quincy Pondexter. The Hornets are in a stacked division, but they’ll be more competitive than people expect – this year and down the road.

4th Place, Southwest Division

- Alex Kennedy

WESTWEGO, Louisiana — The writing was on the wall, or maybe off of it, when the New Orleans Hornets removed an expansive image of All-Star guard Chris Paul from the outside of the New Orleans Arena well before training camp had begun.

Now general manager Dell Demps and coach Monty Williams have a better picture of some of the new faces that might grace that wall one day, and they can move on with their plans for the Hornets without the drag that a disgruntled superstar can cause.

“Now is the next step,” Demps said Thursday, a day after Paul was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. “I don’t know if it’s relief. We’re glad to get that process over. And we’ve got some other things we need to do to get our roster ready.”

The trade brought the Hornets a prolific young shooting guard in Eric Gordon, a 7-foot former All-Star center in Chris Kaman and a second-year forward with potential in Al-Farouq Aminu. The Hornets also got a first-round draft choice that the Clippers had previously acquired from Minnesota.

With that deal done, progress quickly ensued on the free-agent front with the re-acquisition of power forward Carl Landry, who averaged 11.8 points with the Hornets last season. He came in as a backup to David West and moved into a starting role after West was injured.

“He understands the system. He really thrived later in the season after the injury to David West,” Demps said of Landry, who agreed to a one-year, $8.8 million deal. “He had some big-time moments for us in the playoffs last year. We want to grow on that. … He fits our system and we’re excited about the agreement.”

Williams expressed mix feelings about Paul’s departure.

The Hornets made it clear they would have preferred to build around Paul, had the star guard been inclined to sign an extension. But when Paul would not commit to that, Demps and Williams knew they needed to start seeing Paul as a means to trade for more of the players they needed to get closer to the vision they have of a hustling, scrappy, defense-first team.

“When you can bring closure to a situation and move on, you feel good about that,” Williams said. “At the same time, you don’t lose a player like Chris Paul and say, ‘Let’s move on.’ He certainly was a gift for me (last season) as a first-year coach to have somebody like that at my side.”

Williams said he also will miss forward David West, who opted for a free-agent deal with Indiana instead of coming back. Williams wished both of them would have remained.

“I inherited what most coaches would want to inherit,” Williams said, referring to Paul and West. “Yet, it takes a while to put your program in place, so we’re looking at starting over again, which is not something I had planned on or was looking forward to. But it’s what I have to do, so Dell is going to bring the pieces that he feels like fit our system and I have to trust him do that.”

Demps noted that Kaman, who is in the last year of his contract, will be “out to prove he can still play.”

Demps and Williams say they envision Kaman and center Emeka Okafor playing together at times, with Okafor, who has guarded the perimeter at times in the past, moving to power forward.

Williams said he looks forward to having a scorer like Gordon, who averaged 22 points last season.

“I’m always one to get guys on our team that I fear coaching against, and he’s one of those guys,” Williams said. “When he shoots it from range or is attacking the basket, you’re always on edge because you know you’re in trouble.”

Demps said he has spoken all three of the former Clippers who are on their way to the Big Easy, and all of them seemed happy about it.

“All three of them were excited. … They were ready to get here,” Demps said. “I didn’t have to sell anything. I was thinking that could be a possibility, but that was not the case.”

Last season: 46-36, tied with Memphis but on a tiebreaker drew the Lakers in the first round, which got them knocked out.

Head Coach: Monty Williams, entering just his second season at the head of an NBA team.

Key Departures: Chris Paul, who is now throwing lobs to Blake Griffin, and David West, who left via free agency for Indiana. For those scoring at home, that’s nearly 35 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists per game. Good luck replacing that.

Key Additions: Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman, plus Minnesota’s unprotected first round pick. Plus, they re-signed Carl Landry.

Best case scenario: The league finds an owner that wants to keep the Hornets in New Orleans.

As for on the court, in theory, with a starting lineup of Jarrett Jack, Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor (plus a few solid bench players) they could be a solid team in the West that could try and compete for the seven or eight seed….

But why?

More likely the Hornets will: Let’s be honest — with the Chris Paul trade the Hornets enter rebuilding mode. The Hornets can fight the good fight on the court and try to make the playoffs, but they are better off trying to flip Kaman’s contract (and Okafor’s, if they can find a taker) for young players and picks. This is a deep draft, they are better off to jump into rebuilding with both feet.

Prediction: 20-46. That gets them a lot of ping-pong balls in the lottery, which is what they should be after. A couple high picks to go with Eric Gordon and you start to build something for that the next owner.

New Orleans Hornets General Manager Dell Demps said trade talks has resumed involving Chris Paul and the completion of a deal is possible. He didn’t specify if discussions still involved the Lakers and Houston Rockets.

NBA Commissioner David Stern nixed Thursday’s  blockbuster three-team trade that had Paul going to the Lakers, while the Hornets would had received guards Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic, forwards Luis Scola and Lamar Odom and a first-round draft pick.

“Since that deal did not go through, we’re going to keep plugging away,” Demps said. “Everything is open and we’re trying to fill our roster. We’re doing everything we can to get a good team here; we only have six guys.”

Demps confirmed that Paul declined to sign a long-term extension earlier ths week, which prompted the franchise to begin serious trade discussions.

Paul is currently participating in the Hornets’ opening training camp practice at the Alario Center.  

The New Orleans Hornets are involved in Chris Paul(notes) trade talks, and according to sources involved in the talks, have targeted guards Stephen Curry(notes) and Eric Gordon(notes). ESPN is reporting that the Hornets are talking with the Los Angeles Clippers about acquiring Gordon and simultaneously talking with the Golden State Warriors about trading for Curry.

Both Golden State and Los Angeles have worked hard to build up a roster through the draft, and youth is the best asset that those two franchises currently have. With the Clippers, Gordon, DeAndre Jordan(notes) and Blake Griffin(notes) comprise three good young players. On the Warriors, Curry and newly drafted Klay Thompson(notes) from Washington State University give that team a lot of depth on the roster as well. Now the Hornets would like to take some of that youth in exchange for an All-Star point guard.

Trades like these ones are always easier if the parts would stay in place for several seasons. The problem is that Paul is in the last year of his contract with the Hornets, so if he gets traded, he could still hit free agency in the next offseason. The Warriors and Clippers need guarantees that Paul is willing to sign a contract extension; otherwise it doesn’t make sense to give up assets like Gordon or Curry. Curry is becoming a star for the Warriors, and he could join the ranks of big NBA stars if the team actually started winning ballgames.

It sure seems like Paul is going to get traded by New Orleans before the beginning of the regular season, but it is equally unclear which franchise is going to join the deal. There are certainly a few teams that could use a nice rental like Paul for the 2011-12 season, but several top contenders would love to give up spare parts to get him. The New York Knicks probably want him the most, but have zero real assets to offer in return. Then there is the Boston Celtics, who could offer someone like Rajon Rondo(notes), but also get no guarantee that Paul will stay after this year.

A deal is out there with the Los Angeles Lakers if the Hornets would take either Pau Gasol(notes) or Andrew Bynum(notes) in a trade, but neither is a player that will put people in the seats for years to come. They are good players when healthy, but they just don’t have the talent level to take over games by themselves. That’s what Paul offers and teams around the league fully realize the value he could bring in a blockbuster trade.

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Sources:

NBA Main Website

Yahoo NBA Site

*Ryan Christopher DeVault is a hard-core NBA fan that looks forward to an exciting 2011-12 season now that the lockout has come to an end. Ryan is also a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

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The New Orleans Hornets have their eyes wide open and know they are going to have to trade Chris Paul. The Orlando Magic are holding out more hope of retaining Dwight Howard but that feels like a longshot as well. The front offices in both cities have to be gauging offers right now, or they are not doing their jobs.

But if they are both looking to make a deal, do they both want to deal with the Lakers? Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski says that may make it a race between the two sides.

Why? You’re not going to get equal value back when you trade your superstar, but Andrew Bynum comes about as close as it gets. And the Lakers will part with him.

In a lot of ways, the Hornets and Orlando Magic are in a race to make a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers for Paul and Howard. They’re running so many scenarios across the big boards in their offices, but make no mistake: Los Angeles is the port that can entice Paul and Howard to sign extensions, with the one player – young center Andrew Bynum – as a centerpiece that can justify the trade.

The Lakers and Hornets talked several days ago, league sources told Yahoo! Sports, but it was one of those circuitous conversations that left the sides unclear what it would take to get a deal done, and the talk ended with no formal offers. The Lakers and Hornets expect to speak again this week, sources said. The prospect of Pau Gasol as the primary player going to the Hornets won’t be acceptable, sources said. The Lakers will ultimately be willing to let New Orleans pick its player in the deal – Bynum or Gasol – but New Orleans is determined to get quality, and quantity, in a deal.

The Nets will offer Brook Lopez and picks, but most teams would rather have Bynum than Lopez. That seems like a fallback.

For the Lakers, Chris Paul gives them the missing athleticism and someone who could be very good on the pick-and-roll with Pau Gasol. Dwight Howard upgrades them in the paint and gives them a younger star to transition with in the post-Kobe Bryant era.

We’ll see if this happens, however. After a lockout filled with talk of competitive balance could the league-owned Hornets send Chris Paul off to the Lakers to form another trio of stars? Would the other owners tolerate that from David Stern? As for the Magic, could they trade Dwight Howard to the franchise that took Shaquille O’Neal away from them? There would be fan backlash.

Which is a way of saying we are a long way from a deal either way here. But the Lakers may have the best offer out there and that is going to count for something.