New Orleans Pelicans: 5 moments in team history that deserve a documentary

1A. Chris Paul Departure

There are few things that hurt a sports fan’s heart than the one bright spot on a bad team requesting a trade. The one guy to be counted on. The one guy who made you stay loyal to this team. Those of us in New Orleans know that feeling all too well with the departure of arguably the two greatest players in the history of the team.

Following the 2007-2008 season, Paul and the Hornets would never advance past the first round of the playoffs again, falling in five games to Carmelo Anthony’s Denver Nuggets in 2008-2009, missing the playoffs entirely in 2009-2010 and losing in six games to Kobe’s Lakers in 2010-2011.

Likely due to frustration with the lack of success despite the talent around him and the leadership of management (i.e. Dell Demps), Paul informed the front office at the beginning of the 2011-2012 season that he would not sign an extension with the team at the end of his current contract. Paul desired to be shipped to the New York Knicks or to one of the teams in Los Angeles. He would get his wish. Twice.

Upon hearing the news, Demps made a plethora of attempts to ship Paul out of town, reaching out all over the league, trying to find the best offer available.

The first official offer proposed was with the Lakers. Those of us who were enamored with the league at the time surely remember this one.

In a three-team trade, the Lakers would send Lamar Odom to New Orleans and Pau Gasol to the Rockets. Houston would then send Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic and a first-round pick to New Orleans. Paul would be shipped to Los Angeles as requested, or so we thought.

Enter David Stern.

Stern believed that the Hornets weren’t getting enough in exchange for Paul, and he vetoed the trade. “No team sells or trades a future Hall of Famer without the owner signing off, and I was the owner’s rep,” Stern told Sports Illustrated’s Chris Ballard.

Need I mind you, this was immediately following the end of the NBA lockout that started the 2011-2012 season, and the opportunity to begin making trades had just been opened up. Demps had said he didn’t want to rush things and make a “rash decision.”

The trade deadline was three months away.

Less than a week later, Demps would agree to a deal with the LA Clippers, sending Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al Farouq-Aminu and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ unprotected 2012 first-round pick. Stern approved this time.

Although Paul didn’t have the desire to play for the Hornets, he made sure to express his gratitude to the city of New Orleans on Twitter:

After Paul’s departure, the franchise would quickly plummet, having three straight losing seasons, and making the playoffs just twice since 2012.