Jared C. Tilton/Getty ImagesPer Marc Stein of ESPN, the Hornets and Clippers agreed in principle on a deal that would send Paul and two future second-round picks to the Clippers, and shooting guard Eric Gordon, center Chris Kaman, forward Al-Farouq Aminu and the Minnesota Timberwolves' 2012 first-round pick to the Hornets.
Keep in mind, an agreement has apparently been reached after the Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers saw two proposals fall flat in recent days.
Now it's time to ask, how did they grade?
Los Angeles Clippers: A
The Clippers gave up a lot here, most notably young shooting guard Eric Gordon, who they never wanted to give up.
But pairing Paul up with power forward Blake Griffin is the ultimate prize. Not only are they superstars in their own rights, they figure to be suited for each other. Paul loves working with pick-and-rolls, and Griffin is virtually unstoppable with a full head of steam.
The Clippers also just acquired former Dallas Mavericks small forward Caron Butler and veteran point guard Chauncey Billups, both of whom have been part of championship teams.
On top of this, they re-signed center DeAndre Jordan, who could be a force defensively in the post in the coming years.
The Clippers gave up a lot for Paul, but it was well worth it.
New Orleans Hornets: B+
You knew the Hornets were only going to trade Paul if they got a really good deal.
And so they did.
Adding the young Gordon gives them a cornerstone at shooting guard, center Chris Kaman is a solid player when healthy and sealing the deal was grabbing a first-round pick from the Timberwolves.
The Hornets were able to weasel away Gordon from the Clippers and get a first-round pick in the process.
That's a pretty good job considering Paul would have left New Orleans if he hit free agency in 2012.
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