Hey, an NBA trade that helps both teams - it does exist!

December 26th, 2006 | Posted by PostmanE

You may or may not believe it, but there it is (Kelly Dwyer, SI.com):

The scuttle says that Ron Artest, who can’t be persuaded to take the court these days in Sacramento purple, could go to the Clippers for scoring swingman Corey Maggette, in a swap Los Angeles nearly consummated with Artest’s former team in Indiana last winter.

The deal needs to go down. It will hardly act as a panacea for either squad, but it will recharge both and serve as a bit of motivation as things start to get serious. Both the Kings (11-14 through Monday) and Clippers (11-15) are underachieving, as both of the burly players in question have fallen into distraction mode. Maggette far less than Artest, of course. Maggette has been dealing with trade rumors for a year and a half and has been pretty professional through the whole thing. His play has been quite good, but this didn’t stop him from asking for a trade via his agent.

Artest has been throwing lobs through the media at point guard Mike Bibby (struggling, to be sure, but also playing through injuries) and new coach Eric Musselman. He pulled out of a nationally televised loss to Washington just minutes before tip-off last Thursday, and has worn out his welcome after a 10-month test drive.

Nobody gets hurt in a deal like this. Until, of course, the Kings realize that Maggette (despite all his talent and dogged determination) isn’t the answer to making them a strong playoff team, and the Clippers realize just how much Ron Ron thinks of his offensive repertoire.

Say it ain’t so! You mean neither team has to take a huge luxury tax hit, or clear its young, talented roster to get an aging superstar, or give up a 2007 first-round pick or anything like that? This can actually happen? Hmm. No kidding.

In related, equally implausible news: Family Guy is funny again, Bigfoot has come out of hiding to broker a Middle East peace accord and my reporting job isn’t slowly stealing my will to live. Hey, it could happen.

Mark Cuban is a sweaty, friendly owner

May 23rd, 2006 | Posted by PostmanE

The photographic proof is right there. Mark’s just happy.

And he should be, as his Mavs took down the Spurs last night, getting over that playoff hump they’ve been struggling with for so long.

That was only the first Game 7 of the night, as the Suns and Clippers went deep into the night to finally settle that West Coast situation out there.

Not gonna lie - wasn’t awake for this one. It was a taxing day and E needed his sleep.

Nonetheless, the LA Times is telling me that the Clippers ended their dream season - when you’re the Clippers, getting to the second round of the playoffs is a dream season - last night thanks to some clever basketball by the Suns.

You have to hand it to Steve Nash here. For all the talk about Kobe, and then LeBron, Nash is quietly leading his team, sans Amare Stoudamire, closer and closer to the NBA Finals. Not bad for a Canadian, eh?