The long awaited deal for Chris Paul has finally been reached after David Stern nixed several offers from both the Lakers and Clippers. The Los Angeles Clippers have agreed to a deal in principle with the league-owned New Orleans Hornets to acquire guard Chris Paul, according to sources close to the process.

The Clippers, sources said, will send guard Eric Gordon, center Chris Kaman, forward Al-Farouq Aminu and Minnesota’s unprotected 2012 first-round pick to the Hornets for Paul. 

The Clippers will also receive two future second-round picks, according to sources.

The deal is expected to be approved by the league Wednesday night, sources said.

So who got the better end of the deal? I would give the edge to the Hornets, but that doesn’t mean I love the deal from their perspective. Yes they are getting a very good young player in Eric Gordon, but after that they aren’t getting much in terms of sure talent. They are getting Kaman who will be gone after this season, Al-Farouq Aminu who has potential but hasn’t proven anything, and a likely a top 5 pick from the Timberwolves. The pick sounds good, especially with one of the stronger draft classes in recent memory, but draft picks are never guaranteed to pan out, just ask Portland about that.

I think this deal is very dangerous for the Clippers. While Paul is certainly a great player and will bring an excitement to the Clippers that could possibly rival the Lakers, he is still a point guard and historically it is the most overrated position in the NBA. Almost never is a point guard the best player on a championship team. Fact is that the NBA is a shooting guard and big man driven league. Just look at the past 20 champions, there is only one team that you can even make an argument that the PG was the best player and that was the 2004 Pistons.

I would have liked to have seen the Clippers hang on to Gordon and use the Wolves pick to add another young talent. They had enough pieces as constructed to be a playoff team this season but now I think they are back in the lottery. They now have a glaring hole at shooting guard and a log-jam at point guard with Paul, Eric Bledsoe, Mo Williams, and recently signed Chauncey Billups.  Another thing is that the Clippers are only guaranteed to have CP3 for this year and next so if they don’t show promise Paul could decide to bolt.