As a Clippers fan, I just don't think Hornets fans are being realistic at all when you talk about getting Gordon AND the Minny pick. It seems to me like that offer would be far, far better than the dead Lakers deal and any of the offers that has been reported in the media so far. Most people agree that the Hornets front office has less leverage now than it had before. Why would your consolation prize be so much better than the deal you lost out on? The Clippers should build an offer centered around the Minny pick, young players, and expiring contracts. That makes the Hornet's own draft pick this year even more valuable. If absolutely necessary, the Clippers should consider offering Gordon, but never Gordon and the Minny pick.

Chris Paul for Deron Williams and Brook Lopez just a thought

In the meantime I'm spending $4000 on season tickets for what. This is bull@&@$ and I think it sucks. I'm being ripped off by the NBA and the Hornets.

This whole situation was exacerbated the lockout. In a normal offseason, we'd have had time to talk to David West, talk to Chris Paul, know for sure what was what, and go from there. With the lockout, we couldn't even contact them. Who knows? Maybe with a normal free agency period we could have made some moves that would have caused Chris to reconsider, which would probably have netted DWest as well. When the lockout ended it was basically - "make a decision now, Chris". When they finally do move Chris, we'll almost be back to where we were when the team first moved here from Charlotte. No connection whatsoever to the players on the team. No continuity. No emotional ties between the city and the team. CP3 will be gone. DWest is gone. No Aaron Gray. Who exactly do we have on the team that's been here more than one season? Okafor and Ariza, and they've only been here two years. There's no way in hell we can entice any free agent to come here. And anyone who is traded here will be looking for a way out the minute their contract is up. Thanks, NBA. Maybe this is the league's way of preparing us for contraction, so it won't hurt so bad.

I meant the Clippers is the frontrunner sorry i wrote Boston twice

They say Boston is the fronrunner but i believe that Boston is because of DWest but everyone wants the TWolves 1st rd pick. All of us hoping that we get the #1 pick in the 2012 draft yeah it'll be deep draft forsure but D.D wants to bulid a team with youth and vetrean experience.GSW is a possiable i've 3 different trades that could happen N.O-HOU-GS N.O gets: Steph Curry,Udoh.Klay Thompson and 2012 1st rd pick (GS),Kevin Martin,Luis Scola,Terrence Williams and 2012 1st & 2nd rd picks (HOU) Hou gets: David Lee (GSW) and Okafor (N.O) GS get:CP3 N.O-LAC-Cle N.O gets: Ramon Sessions, Anderson Varejao (CLE) and Eric Gordon,Al Aminu and 2012 1st rd pick via TWolves CLE get: Okafor LAC get:CP3 N.O-Bos N.O gets Rondo,Avery Bradley,Jeff Green and Jermaine O'Neal but is waive later from the sign and trade of DWest and 2013 &14 1st rd pick (BOS),Kevin Martin,Pat Peterson and 2012 1st rd & 2nd rd picks (HOU) Hou get: Okafor BOS get: CP3

If we can somehow work out a deal with Golden State for Steph Curry, that would be pretty amazing. Until then, we are the official laughing stock of the league. That said, the league is the permanent laughing stock of all professional sports. Glad we're all in to enrich these a-holes...

Is that Golden State option for Steph Curry and co. still available? And how are we doing with free agents like Marcus Thornton or somebody?

Why does everyone act as if the moment the season starts everything freezes and no more trades can be made? ( heard of the Trade Deadline?!?) Stern did what any half-wit owner in the same position would've done for the best long-term interests of his team. Did it screw over the Lakers (yes, but screw them anyways) and does it appear sketchy to the rest of the League (yes... )? These questions aren't our concern. Acting as the owner of the hornets, Stern killed a deal that was IMHO the 3rd best deal that had been floated anyways. Instead of taking on the Celts and getting 1 legit All star who is YOUNG (rondo) plus picks, or taking the Clips non-Gordon offer of DJordan and Bledsoe (Both young as well), we take the trade that gives us a bunch of overpaid mediocre vets. Yes I'm aware that you can then turn around and flip someone like Lamar Odom ... but the same reason he's unattractive to us are the saem reasons most potential trade partners will be scared away. And to top it off, having that trade go through would've met that for the time being we would've fielded a half-decent team ... which is good if you're trying to sell the team ASAP since it makes for a good sales pitch (hey! we're a 7 seed playoff team!) but bad for the ULTIMATE, Eventual outcome for the franchise in the long-term (hey! we're never going to be better than a 7 seed and don't have any youth or flexibility!). It seems like Demps just went for sheer "value" and tried to get the most basketball talent in return for CP3 that he could. Which is a great short-term move, but it's also the type of dumb long-term move that kills franchises. To rebuild in the NBA as a small market team you gotta build through smart drafting. Is drafting an exact science? Hell no. But what choice do we have? The events of the past few seasons have shown without a doubt that most star Free Agents covet big media markets and glamour teams. What are you gonna do about it? What is fielding a team of Scola-Martin-odom/west/etc - types going to do for us? That's not how you get to the top... ANd i hope for everyone's sake here that the management isn't just aiming for permanent Milwaukee Bucks-land. That's purgatory. You take your chances and you take the risks that may have big rewards and hope you wind up building an OKC or a San antonio. All that being said, latest rumors are of the Clips once again being in the lead. I see no reason why trade talks can't continue even as the season gets under way, and if we can somehow get Gordon from them plus the 1st rounder from Minn that they have, I think that's a Fantastic potential scenario for us. And as for the current roster of D-league types, well, it'll be tough to watch but at least they can easily tank and set us up for another lottery pick. And really, that's the only viable course I see right now.

This may be the oddest situation I've seen in my 20 years of consciously following sports. There's a game in 5 days. Who exactly will be on the team then?

The only thing we can do is support the team.

Sucks to be a Hornets fan right now. So much anxiety and excitement to have the lockout end only to be deflated at the team we will have on the floor. Kind of wish we were still locked out. O well, I guess it could be worst by having no team at all here...o wait maybe that's the reality we will face next. Feels like 10,000 people got robbed by the NBA here this season. I'm sure it's a lesson learned for many. ..

Glad to see you're taking this so well. A smaller man would be angry at Stern /oh I see what you did there