In the year 2011, one of the most disputed decisions to this day in the NBA unfolded. The day NBA decided to veto Chris Paul’s trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. Chris Paul was involved in a blockbuster trade from the New Orleans Hornets to the Los Angeles Lakers. This trade could potentially see the late Kobe Bryant team up with Paul and Dwight Howard. It would have been the new big three for the Lakers for years to come.
However, this trade never went through, as the then NBA commissioner late David Stern vetoed the deal to go through. To this day, whenever a big team trades a player to make them an unstoppable force, it raises a question, “Wow you let this happen, but you didn’t let Chris Paul go to the Lakers?” It is quite disputable to this day.
It is important to understand what was the reason behind this. It is not because the NBA wanted to dictate things in the league, but due to the power, they held as the owners. At the time the NBA owned the New Orleans Hornets. However, other owners of the NBA teams owned shares in the team. Initially, the NBA had given the autonomy to the front office to make decisions/trades according to them.
It was, however, as various reports suggest that the owner of the Cleveland Cavalier, Dan Gilbert wrote a mail to the NBA commissioner. He stated that if the deal went through, the Lakers will be benefiting a lot more than just acquiring a player. The Lakers will be benefiting by saving $20 million in salary, and $21 million in luxury taxes. He also said that the trade should go to the other 29 owners as well.
Can the NBA commissioner veto a trade?
Eventually, when the dust settled, the three-team trade ended with CP3 joining the Lakers’ city rival the Los Angeles Clippers. The New Orleans Hornet received Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, and an unprotected 2012 draft pick. The trade didn’t work out for any parties, and CP3 didn’t even make it to the conference finals with the Clippers.
To answer the above question, it is quite simple, the NBA commissioner approves all player movements. But, this is just a formality, the teams have the final say in the movements of the players and the trades. Thus at the time when the move for CP3 was vetoed, it stands correct, but it does not come without any criticism. The NBA commissioner Davis Stern and the other NBA officials did own the Hornets and had the final say.
Even when the 29 other members besides the NBA decided on the trade the NBA had the majority shares. This gave them the power to approve the trade of CP3 going to the Los Angeles Lakers or reject it. Therefore, it is conclusive to say that the NBA’s decision was valid, but it was not right for any of the parties involved. The Hornets eventually had to trade Paul, as he made his intentions clear on not renewing his contract with them.
Now CP3 plays with the Phoenix Suns. The Suns are undergoing a change of ownership. Current owner Robert Sarver has agreed to sell the Phoenix-based franchise to the CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage Mat Ishbia.