No matter how you feel about the last four years of Los Angeles Clippers basketball — excited because of the team’s success, trumping what the franchise had done in years past, or underwhelmed from the lack of playoff success, relative to the hype surrounding the star-studded franchise — none of it would have been possible without the trade from four years ago that altered the trajectory of the once poor franchise: trading for then-disgruntled New Orleans Hornets superstar Chris Paul.
The price for Paul? Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu, and the Clippers’ 2012 first-round draft pick, who turned out to be Paul’s eventual teammate in Austin Rivers — not bad considering how Eric Gordon’s career was deterred by injury and Aminu didn’t necessarily live up to his draft spot, even if turning into a good role player as the league emphasized space and he was pushed down into the power forward spot.