Could Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Paul be the next duo in the West? The Mavs will trade their 13th pick to make it happen. (Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images)

The NBA Draft is still more than a month away and free agency doesn’t begin until July, but the Dallas Mavericks are wasting no time in the offseason to return to title contention next year with an aging leader in Dirk Nowitzki, who turns 35 years old in a couple of weeks.

On Wednesday, Chad Ford of ESPN reported that the team is “likely” to shop their 13th pick in June’s NBA Draft in order to clear up $1.6 million in potential cap space to instead be spent on Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard or the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul, both of whom are set to become a free agent July 1. Howard was paid $19.5 million this season while Paul was on the Clippers’ payroll this year for $17.7 million.

As Ford points out, Paul and Howard would have to sacrifice a fifth year on the max contract they could seek from their current team. For Howard, the difference could be over $30 million; he could sign a five-year, $118 million max-level extension if he remained with the Lakers, but under the new collective bargaining agreement, he wouldn’t get more than a four-year deal worth $87.6 million if he left for another team.

Nowitzki, who is owed $22.7 million this upcoming season, said earlier in May that he would take a “significant pay cut” when he becomes a free agent in summer 2014 to allow the team to retain the marquee player they might sign this summer and to also acquire more talent next summer. According to Ford, Nowtizki will join Mavs owner Mark Cuban, president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson and head coach Rick Carlisle in the recruiting efforts this summer.

David West will reportedly be targeted by the Los Angeles Clippers this summer. (Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly looking to add some pieces to their roster to get past the disappointment of a first round exit this season at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies. According to a report Tuesday from Marc Stein of ESPN.com, one of those additions could be Indiana Pacers forward David West, who is set to become a free agent in July.

West, who turns 33 this summer, has every reason to think he can take his game to the next level playing alongside Chris Paul, who was instrumental in developing him into a two-time All-Star during their five years together in New Orleans. But as Stein points out, Indiana will likely be able to offer more money to West, who made $10 million this season, if he remains with the Pacers. And there’s no certainty that Paul, also set to become a free agent this summer, will definitely be back with the Clippers next season:

“The Clips would presumably have to structure an offer with the $5.15 million midlevel exception available to non-tax teams. But you have to figure that the former Hornet — who rose to All-Star prominence playing alongside CP3 — is going to want to hear the details of a proposal pitching a reunion with his old point guard … as long as Paul himself, of course, has decided to stay.”

West would also have to adjust from a roster where he is a featured player in the rotation in Indiana to Los Angeles, where he would compete for minutes with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Another uncertainty is the fate of Indiana for the rest of the playoffs and whether winning a championship this season, as far-fetched as it may seem for the third-seeded Pacers, would sway West to re-sign with Indiana or give him all the more reason to go out on top in Indiana and move on to another team.

In 73 games this season, West is averaging 17.1 points on 49.8 percent shooting, 7.7 rebounds and one steal. He is currently dealing with a strained right calf but expects to play in Game 1 of the Pacers’ matchup with the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Chris Paul will become an unrestricted free agent this July. (Joe Murphy/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers are “very confident” that free agent to-be Chris Paul will re-sign with the team despite its disappointing, first-round exit in the NBA Playoffs.

“The No. 1 priority for us right now has to be re-signing our star player, Chris Paul,” Clippers vice president of basketball operations Gary Sacks told reporters, according to ESPN.com. “That’s our goal, that’s what we want to do. We want to put ourselves in a position to do that. We feel this organization is in a position to move forward with that goal in mind. It’s always difficult, it’s never easy, but we feel confident we can be successful.”

Paul will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and he will be among the most sought-after names on the open market. He will be eligible to sign a five-year, $107.3 million extension after July 1.

If Paul signs with another team in free agency, he would be eligible for a four-year, $79.7 million contract. That means Paul would be leaving $27.6 million on the table to sign elsewhere.

The Clippers were ousted from the playoffs by the Memphis Grizzlies in six games, in a series that included four straight losses to end Los Angeles’ season. In exit interviews, Paul sounded noncommittal about his future with the Clippers.

The NBA All-Star Game saw a boost in their ratings. (Layne Murdoch/NBA/Getty Images)

TNT’s presentation of last night’s NBA All-Star Game was watched by eight million viewers, a 13 percent increase over last year’s telecast, reports TVbytheNumbers.com.

Last year’s game, which was held in Orlando, Fla., was seen by 7.1 million viewers, according to the report. This year’s game garnered the highest ratings in Miami, San Antonio, Memphis, Los Angeles, and Oklahoma City.

The game was played at the Toyota Center in Houston and won by the Western Conference 143-138 behind 20 points and 15 assists by Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul, who took away MVP honors. Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant led all scorers with 30 points. New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony led the East squad with 26 points and 12 rebounds.

Chris Paul could return Friday against the Heat. (Rocky Widner/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers expect to have their All-Star point guard and MVP candidate Chris Paul back in the lineup on Friday as the team travels to South Florida for a marquee matchup against the Miami Heat.

According to a report late Wednesday night from Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News, the Clippers are “optimistic” that the team will have both Paul and Chauncey Billups back for the game on Friday. Paul hasn’t played since Jan. 21 because of a bruised right knee cap, while Billups has missed all but three games this season with peroneal tendinitis, an inflamed tendon, in his left foot.

The Clippers currently sit atop the Pacific Division with a 35-16 record, good for fourth overall in the NBA, but have gone 3-6 since Paul went down. The team has also been without its star power forward, Blake Griffin, for the past two games as he deals with a strained left hamstring.

Overall, regarding all of the injuries that have plagued the Clippers throughout the season, head coach Vinny del Negro has repeatedly said that he is focused on the big picture and is more concerned with the health of his roster for the playoffs than how the team fares in the first half of the season.

The Clippers are interested in a trade for Kevin Garnett, according to a report. (J. Meric/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers have contacted the Boston Celtics about a possible trade for forward Kevin Garnett, The Sporting News’ Sean Deveney reported on Sunday. Citing multiple sources, Deveney reported that the Clippers’ offer would center on second-year guard Eric Bledsoe and veteran forward Caron Butler.

The report came as the Celtics beat the Clippers 106-104 in Boston on Sunday, the Celtics’ fourth straight victory since losing star point guard Rajon Rondo for the rest of the season. The Clippers also played without their star point guard in the loss — Chris Paul missed his seventh straight game with a bruised right knee cap.

Any deal would have to be completed by the Feb. 21 trade deadline. It would represent a major push by the Clippers to contend at the top of the Western Conference, while the Celtics would signal that they are ready to rebuild away from a long-time core that includes both Garnett and Paul Pierce.

Aside from Paul, the Clippers have also been hampered by injuries to guard Chauncey Billups and forward Jamal Crawford. Still, they sit third in the Western Conference even after Sunday’s loss, four games behind the San Antonio Spurs.

The Celtics remain comfortably in the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference at 24-23 after their four-game winning streak. In addition to Rondo, they also lost rookie big man Jared Sullinger for the season last week.

Clippers guard Chris Paul will miss at least one game with a contusion in his right kneecap. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBA/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul will not play in the team’s road game against the Memphis Grizzles and could miss the game against the Houston Rockets tomorrow night as well, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Paul sat out the Clippers’ shootaround on Monday with a contusion in his right kneecap. Paul was injured against the Orlando Magic when he and Magic guard J.J. Redick bumped knees late in the Clippers’ 104-101 loss to Orlando on Saturday. Eric Bledsoe will start in Paul’s place.

 ”I don’t know yet. If a miracle comes through. I hope so. I want to play, no question. But if I feel like I’ll hinder the team, then I won’t. It’s a little swollen,” Paul said when asked if he will play against Memphis. “I’ll see if I can get it out by game time.”

Paul is averaging 16.9 points, 9.7 assists and 2.6 steals per game for the Clippers (28-9), who are one game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the Western Conference.

Memphis will also be without one of its top scores as guard Rudy Gay will miss Monday’s game in order to attend the funeral of his grandmother.

Chris Paul returned to Clippers practice on Tuesday in China. (Randy Belice/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Clippers star Chris Paul participated in a full-contact practice on Tuesday morning as the team readies for a two-game exhibition series against the Miami Heat in China, according to Eric Patten of NBA.com:

“It felt great (to practice),” Paul told Clippers.com. “I actually felt like I was part of the team. I was a little winded out there, but it felt good to get back out there and get in the mix. … I felt fine because I haven’t done anything for so long. I’m pretty well rested, so I was excited to get out there and play.”

Head coach Vinny Del Negro said that Paul played well but conceded that the All-Star point guard needs to get into better game condition. He hasn’t played since he injured his thumb this summer as a member of the U.S. mens Olympics basketball team and underwent surgery in August.

Though he is back at practice, Paul is reportedly not expected to play in Thursday’s exhibition game against the Heat in Beijing. It’s unclear whether he will suit-up for the game on Sunday in Shanghai, the Clippers’ last overseas exhibition game.

News of Paul’s return comes on the heels of positive news for the Clippers’ other veteran guard, Chauncey Billups, who had season-ending surgery in February to repair his Achilles tendon. Billups was cleared last week to participate in contact drills but is still considered improbable for the Clippers’ opening night of the regular season on Halloween against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Chauncey Billups is expected to miss the start of the Clippers’ season. (D. Clarke Evans/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers received more bad news this week as the team will reportedly be without veteran guard Chauncey Billups for the start of the season as he continues to nurse a torn Achilles tendon he tore in February, according to Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Billups, 35, started 20 games for the Clippers last season before going down with the injury less than two months into the lockout year. Despite being on the downside of his career, the former NBA Finals MVP averaged 14.9 points and four assists in 30 minutes per game last season for Los Angeles.

The bad news for the team’s backcourt comes on the heels of Tuesday’s announcement that the Clippers’ All-Star franchise point guard Chris Paul will be sidelined for eight weeks following August thumb surgery from an injury he sustained during Olympic play this summer. He is expected to miss training camp as well as the preseason and could be on the bench with Billups at the start of the season, which tips off for the Clippers on Halloween in a home game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

With these two injuries, the team may have to start the season with Eric Bledsoe and the recently-acquired Jamal Crawford in the backcourt. Blake Griffin, who signed a five-year contract extension worth nearly $100 million this offseason, had knee surgery after an injury he suffered in the days leading up to the London Olympics. The silver lining for the team right now is that he is expected to be ready for training camp.

Chris Paul will likely miss the start of the Clippers’ season. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul will be sidelined for the next eight weeks after the team announced on Tuesday that he underwent successful thumb surgery, according to a report from Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com:

Chris Paul underwent surgery this morning to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, the Los Angeles Clippers announced today, saying the injury occurred last month during Team USA training camp in Las Vegas, Nevada.

According to Sheridan, Paul can begin full-contract drills with the Clippers after his rehab period. He will definitely miss training camp and could miss the start of the regular season, which tips off Oct. 30. The Clippers’ preseason begins Oct. 6 and the regular season starts on Halloween in a home game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Paul ran the point for Team USA en route to a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He averaged 8.3 points, 5.1 assists and an Olympic tournament-leading 2.5 steals per game.  He also started all eight games for the team, averaging 25.8 minutes. Paul made headlines this offseason after turning down a contract extension with the Clippers. He is set to become a free agent July 2013.

Kobe Bryant thinks Commissioner Stern’s idea to not allow basketball players 23 years of age and older to compete in the Olympics is “stupid.” (Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant let the media know what he thinks about NBA Commissioner David Stern’s idea of not allowing players 23 years of age and older compete in the Olympics, calling it a “stupid” proposition, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com:

“It’s a stupid idea,” Bryant told local reporters at the reception to welcome them to Manchester in advance of Thursday night’s exhibition game here against Team Great Britain. “It should be a (player’s) choice. [O]ur discussion is this: Basically, it’s just a dumb idea and we (discuss) it that way. … We just discuss it like that (and) kind of voice our opinions through you (media) guys.”

Stern has expressed interest in adopting a concert similar to the one used in men’s Olympic soccer, in which each team is allowed only three players 23 years of age and older to compete.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been one of Stern’s biggest supporters of the rule, saying in a report from the Associated Press via Yahoo! Sports that “when your country is counting on you, it’s hard to say no.” The report points out that Cuban could be a big supporter of the proposed rule in part because of “Dirk Nowitzki’s futile bid to help Germany qualify for London by competing in the European championship last summer shortly after winning the NBA title.”

In other words, players might find it difficult to turn down the opportunity to represent their country even though they know their body needs rest.

The discussion is particularly relevant this summer, as team USA’s Blake Griffin, who sat out his entire rookie year because of injury, suffered a meniscus tear during practice on July 11 and underwent surgery that will keep him out of the Olympics.

But while Stern and Cuban see the Olympics as an opportunity for a star player to risk injury and thus jeopardize the season for an NBA team, Bryant sees the Olympics as a safer option than not competing in organized basketball:

“If I’m an owner, I would want my player to play (internationally) because I understand that they’re going to be playing anyway, going to be playing pickup basketball in the summertime, and I’m not going to be able to know where they are. They could be playing against a bunch of bums — no, really — guys that feel like they have something to prove and all of a sudden, a (star player) goes to the rim and a guy takes them out and now he’s hurt.

In Olympic play, Bryant said, teams have treatment “around the clock” and therefore, it’s actually better for the players and the owners.

In the report, Bryant’s teammates, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony, said they share his view. Paul said he would “like for it to be your own decision,” calling the Olympics the greatest experience of his life.

Team USA Chairman Jerry Colangelo agrees with them as well, saying he hopes Stern doesn’t try to change anything:

“I don’t want to change anything because I like what we have,” Colangelo told the Times earlier this month. “We take care of our players and I think we do the right things.”

The Miami Heat will begin their title defense with two preseason games in China against the Los Angeles Clippers in October. (Don Emmert, Getty Images)

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the title-winning Miami Heat will take on Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers in a star-studded preseason slate in China this October, Bloomberg reported Sunday night.

The Heat and Clippers will play two games in China. The first will come on Oct. 11 at the MasterCard Center in Beijing. Then they will play three days later on Oct. 14 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai.

“The NBA China Games will feature several of the best and most dynamic basketball players in the world and we’re excited to tip off next season in Beijing and Shanghai,” NBA International President Heidi Ueberroth said in a statement.

The matchups will bring some international buzz before the start of the season. The Heat will be coming off their first title, and it will serve as the Heat debut for the newly acquired Ray Allen.

The Clippers, meanwhile, had their best season in franchise history last year behind Griffin and Paul, winning just their second playoff series in 28 years. They have signed Jamal Crawford and brought back Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom this offseason.

Blake Griffin will sign a five year, $95 million contract extension with the Clippers. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Blake Griffin will re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers for five years and $95 million, according to a tweet Tuesday afternoon from Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

Though that kind of money is atypical for a 23-year-old player, Griffin’s extension is now the second time in the last year that the league has seen a 23-year-old sign a contract worth nearly $100 million; in December, Derrick Rose, who had just become the youngest MVP in league history, signed a five-year contract extension with the Chicago Bulls worth $94 million.

Griffin, who made $5.7 million last season with the Clippers, is already a two-time All-Star and has received a number of accolades after missing his rookie year because of injury. He came back after that lost season to win the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2011 and was the Slam Dunk Champion as well. Last season he was named to the NBA All-Second Team, averaging 20.7 points 10.9 rebounds, and led the Los Angeles Clippers to a Game 7 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Playoffs. The team lost in the semi-finals to the San Antonio Spurs.

The relationship between the Clippers and Chris Paul, who played with Griffin in the All-Star game and is expected to compete with Griffin at the London Olympics, is much more tenuous. In June, Paul turned down a contract extension with the team.

Blake Griffin and the Clippers have formally agreed on his five-year, approximately $95 million deal, league sources say.—
Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) July 10, 2012

Just hours after dealing Joe Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets, the Atlanta Hawks pulled off their second big trade of the day Monday by sending Marvin Williams to the Utah Jazz for point guard Devin Harris, ESPN’s Marc Stein reported on Twitter.

Just going online and on SportsCenter: Hawks have agreed in principle to deal Marvin Williams to Utah for Devin Harris to shed even more $

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 2, 2012

The deal is significant because in his first week, new Hawks general manager Danny Ferry has now shed the Hawks’ two biggest contracts. Johnson is owed $89 million over the next four seasons. In 2009, the 26-year-old signed a five-year deal worth more than $37 million. Together, Atlanta shipped off more than $25 million in cap space. ESPN’s Tom Haberstroh speculated that it could put the team in the running for two prime free agents next season.

Yep, Danny Ferry just made Atlanta a *potential* landing spot for both Chris Paul AND Dwight Howard in FA next season.

— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) July 2, 2012

In the Johnson trade, Atlanta received  Jordan Farmar, Johan Petro, Anthony Morrow, Jordan Williams and DeShawn Stevenson from the Nets.

Chris Paul declined an offer from the Los Angeles Clippers on July 1 to re-sign with the team for three years and a reported $60 million, according to Kurt Helin of NBCSports.com.

But it may be a strategic business move from Paul to negotiate a more lucrative deal with the Clippers than an indication the All-Star point guard is interested in going elsewhere:

If he plays out this season, becomes a free agent and then re-signs with the Clippers he can get a five-year, $105 million contract. It is one of the quirks of the new CBA that it is in the financial interest of players to become free agents and re-sign with the same team rather than to just sign an extension with their team.

But as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweeted on Sunday, it is believed by many NBA executives that Paul hasn’t lost sight of playing in New York for the Knicks, a team currently pursuing Steve Nash as a mentor to rising star Jeremy Lin. Paul is set to make $17.7 million next season and then will become a free agent, if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Clippers, on July 1 2013.

Lot of NBA execs believe Chris Paul is still hoping to find a way to get to the Knicks…won't happen this summer. Maybe next July—
Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) July 01, 2012

The Clippers expect to sign Blake Griffin to a five-year, $95 million extension this summer. (Harry How/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers are expecting to sign star forward Blake Griffin to a contract extension on July 1 despite the recent departure of general manager Neil Olshey, The Los Angeles Times reported late Friday. The Times reports that Griffin’s extension is expected to be for 5 years and $95 million.

The Clippers remain confident that Griffin will sign the long-term extension this summer, instead of playing out the 2012-13 season and being eligible for free agency next summer. The organization is optimistic even despite Olshey bolting the club to become the general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.

Olshey was the architect of the Clippers team that went 40-26 this season, the organization’s best-ever winning percentage. He pulled off the winter trade for Chris Paul. Paul is also entering the final season of his contract.

The Los Angeles Times mentions seven outside candidates that the Clippers could consider for their GM opening. But if they decide to promote from within, they could look to someone with close ties to Griffin’s agent: Gary Sacks, the team’s director of player personnel.

Sacks finished his second season in his current role and has been with the Clippers for 18 years. One NBA front-office executive said Sacks is looked as a bright basketball mind and he is also good friends with Blake Griffin’s agent, Sam Goldfeder.

LeBron James of the Miami Heat was voted to the All-NBA First Team on Wednesday for the fifth consecutive season. (Issac Baldizon/Getty Images)

The NBA announced its All-NBA First Team on Thursday, highlighted by the Heat’s LeBron James and the Thunder’s Kevin Durant.  Chris Paul of the Clippers, the Lakers Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard of the Magic rounded out the team.

Derrick Rose, last seasons MVP, and Deron Williams, were two notable omissions from the three teams selected by the NBA.  Despite having one of the best records all season, none of the Chicago Bulls were selected to any of the teams. Bryant joins the All-NBA first team for the seventh consecutive season and 10th time overall. James joins the team for the fifth consecutive season, sixth overall.

The All-NBA Second Team is comprised of the Wolves Kevin Love, Blake Griffin of the Clippers, Andrew Bynum of the Lakers, Tony Parker of the Spurs and Russell Westbrook of the Thunder.

Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler of the Knicks were named to the All-NBA Third Team, along with the Celtics Rajon Rondo, the Mavs Dirk Nowitzki and the Heat’s Dwayne Wade.

The following is the complete NBA.com list of other players who received votes  but who were not selected to the top three teams:

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland, 55; Marc Gasol, Memphis, 52; Derrick Rose, Chicago, 44; Josh Smith, Atlanta, 33; Paul Pierce, Boston, 31; Al Jefferson, Utah, 30; Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers, 27; Steve Nash, Phoenix, 24; Kevin Garnett, Boston, 22; Tim Duncan, San Antonio, 18; Joe Johnson, Atlanta, 16; Deron Williams, New Jersey, 14; Rudy Gay, Memphis, 10; James Harden, Oklahoma City, 8; Luol Deng, Chicago, 5; Roy Hibbert, Indiana, 5; Manu Ginobili, San Antonio, 3; Danny Granger, Indiana, 3; Joakim Noah, Chicago, 3; Monta Ellis, Milwaukee, 2; Chris Bosh, Miami, 2; Luis Scola, Houston, 2; Marcin Gortat, Phoenix, 2; Paul Millsap, Utah, 2; Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City, 2; David Lee, Golden State, 1; and DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento, 1.

Los Angeles Clippers star point guard Chris Paul told the media following Thursday night’s Game 2 loss to the San Antonio Spurs that he needs to step his own game up.

“I’m just missing,” Paul said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “I just have to play better. In order for us to make this a series, I personally have to play better.”

Paul scored just 10 points while committing eight turnovers in his club’s 105-88 loss to the Spurs. In Game 1 of the series he had just six points, but did contribute 10 assists in another Clippers loss.

During the regular season, Paul averaged 19.8 points and 9.1 assists per game.

Los Angeles Clipper guard Chris Paul is expected to play Friday despite a hip flexor and injured finger, according to ESPN.com.

Paul injured his hip in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s game, but insists the injury isn’t severe.

“I felt a little sharp pain in my leg,” Paul told ESPN. “I’ll be all right.”

Clippers F Blake Griffin is also questionable, but there is no word on his current status.

Los Angeles Clippers stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin both suffered injuries in the club’s Game 5 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies last night. Both, however, are expected to play in Game 6 on Friday, according to Pro BasketballTalk. 

Head coach Vinny Del Negro told reporters following the game that the team’s training staff had cleared both players to re-enter Game 5, and thus he believed that the two would be set to play Game 6 in Los Angeles.

Griffin buckled his knee on a drive to the left side of the basket during the third quarter. He re-entered the game after being tended to by the medical staff, but was seen limping on the court. He will reportedly have an MRI today to look at the knee.

Paul was forced to sit out the last several minutes of last night’s loss after tweaking his groin. The 27-year-old had trouble with the same groin injury toward the end of the regular season.

Kobe Bryant isn’t the only Los Angeles basketball superstar wearing a protective face mask these days — Clippers point guard Chris Paul was seen warming up with Sunday’s game against the Golden State Warriors wearing a mask as well, according to the L.A. Times.

Paul was elbowed in the face by Danny Green in the first quarter of the Clips’ win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night. He received an X-ray the following day that revealed a nasal fracture; he will now need to wear the protective mask for a few weeks.

“It’s annoying and he plays point guard, so I don’t know how he’s going to do it,” said teammate Kenyon Martin, who has also worn a mask before. “I don’t know how he’s going to go out there and manuever with that thing on.”

The good news is that Kobe scored 30-plus points in three straight games after putting on the mask, including 38 in a shootout win over Sacramento. Maybe the good luck will come Paul’s way, too.

When Chris Paul landed in Los Angeles this past December, traded from the New Orleans Hornets to the Clippers in a preseason blockbuster, he had one year left on his contract and a big decision to make about his future. Now, he says, that decision is a done deal — he wants to pick up his option and stay for another season.

“[The decision] didn’t take long,” Paul said today in an interview with Jim Rome. “It didn’t take long at all. When you go to play somewhere for a season, it always helps to be around good people. Blake Griffin definitely changed the culture around here, and DeAndre Jordan, this is a great group of guys. Not only is basketball going well, but this is a great group of guys.”

Paul has quickly vaulted the Clippers into the national spotlight — a laughingstock last season, the Clips are now atop the Pacific Division at 20-11, regarded as a serious threat to represent the West in the NBA Finals. Paul is averaging 19.2 points, 8.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game and making a real case for his first MVP.

The Clips currently have Paul under a max contract, making $17.8 million this season. Next year, they’ll be shelling out even more.

Chauncey Billups is out for the season, recovering from surgery on his left Achilles tendon, but the Los Angeles Clippers still haven’t moved Mo Williams into the starting five. Rather, Williams is thriving off the bench — and don’t think his teammates haven’t noticed.

“It means a lot,” Chris Paul said in an interview with HoopsHype today. “Mo’s a starter in this league and everybody knows that, but he’s coming off the bench right now. To me, he’s the leading candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. Without him, we’re not doing what we’re doing right now.”

Williams is averaging 13.7 points per game this season as the Clippers’ third guard, including double figures in 11 of his last 14 games. He dropped a season-high 26 in a big win over the Mavericks on Jan. 18.

Sixth Man honors are up for grabs this season as last year’s winner, Lamar Odom, is struggling off the bench this season for the Mavs.

Although the New York Knicks are believed to be favorites to sign free-agent, J.R. Smith, Chris Paul of the Clippers believes that they have a good chance of bringing him to the Clippers, according to ESPN Los Angeles.

“I think the chances are very high,” Paul told reporters Monday.

“My relationship with J.R., Kenyon’s relationship with him and Chauncey’s relationship with him (help).” Paul told reporters, “Also he knows he’ll have the opportunity to play here. He can only make us better.”

The 26-year-old veteran signed with a team in China during the NBA lockout when it seemed that the 2011-12 NBA season would not take place. Due to international basketball rules, most players who signed deals in China were not allowed to leave to return to the NBA without buying out their contracts completely. Smith is expected to become available this week.

Smith is also being sought after by the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Clippers are currently in third place in the Western Conference and first in the Pacific Division with a record of 17-9-0. They are 9-7 in the conference.

The Los Angeles Clippers are interested in signing free-agent J.R Smith, according to ESPN.

Smith will be eligible to return to the NBA later this week after he finishes his Chinese season. The Clippers are reportedly one of a handful of teams interested in landing the former Denver Nuggets guard.

The 26-year-old veteran signed with a team in China during the NBA lockout when it seemed that the 2011-12 NBA season would not take place. Due to international basketball rules, most players who signed deals in China were not allowed to leave to return to the NBA without buying out their contracts completely.

Clippers point guard Chris Paul is reportedly taking the lead in recruiting Smith. Paul played with Smith on the New Orleans Hornets from 2004-06.

Last season in 79 games for the Nuggets, Smith 12.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest.

Eric Gordon claims that the Los Angeles Clippers lied to him about the eventual trade that sent him to the New Orleans Hornets, according to Yahoo! Sports.

“All you do is take the man’s word and take that he said that no one is going to go anywhere,” Gordon told Yahoo! Sports. “… To completely lie like that is something unprofessional.”

“They literally told me as an organization that they wanted to keep me, and [the trade still] went down?”

Clippers general manager Neil Olshey, who orchestrated the deal that sent Gordon to New Orleans, and brought Chris Paul to Los Angeles, denies that he lied to Gordon.

“I’m not deceptive enough to look players in the eye and tell them something that is not true,” Olshey told Yahoo!. “And I can tell you from an ownership level, the president of our company, myself, we made a corporate decision Monday morning that when the deal didn’t go through on Sunday night we would no longer pursue the trade. And that’s when we notified our players, to get the elephant out of the room during our abbreviated training camp.”

Gordon, 23, averaged 22.3 points per game for the Clippers last season in his third year in the league.

The new-look New Orleans Hornets have lost three straight games, and Eric Gordon, the cornerstone piece of the deal that sent Chris Paul to Los Angeles and began the team’s rebuilding effort, has watched all three from the bench, out with a sore knee.

The season is still young, but already, Gordon isn’t happy.

Gordon expressed his frustration with being traded in a report today from Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports, saying that Clips executive Neil Olshey deceived him about his future in L.A.

“All you do is take the man’s word and take that he said that no one is going to go anywhere,” Gordon said. “To completely lie like that is something unprofessional.”

The Hornets originally planned to send Paul to the Lakers on Dec. 8, but that trade was nixed by league offices. The Hornets then tried the Clippers — that deal fell apart on Dec. 12, at which point Gordon claims Olshey told him he wasn’t going anywhere. Then the deal went through on Dec. 14, and Gordon was shipped to New Orleans.

Olshey denies lying to the 23-year-old guard.

“I’m not deceptive enough to look players in the eye and tell them something that is not true,” Olshey said.

New York Knicks star forward Carmelo Anthony thinks that the league would have been better off had David Stern allowed the nixed trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I thought it would have been good for the Lakers and good for the whole NBA,” Anthony told the New York Daily News. “As a guy who loves to compete, I would have liked to see him out West with the Lakers. For me — I’ve been battling the Lakers for the last seven years when I was in the Western Conference — I liked that.”

A deal was agreed upon in principle that would have sent Paul to the Lakers earlier this month, however David Stern, to much controversy, did not allow that trade to go through. Several days later, Stern did allow a trade that sent Paul from the NBA owned New Orleans Hornets to the Los Angeles Clippers.

It was believed prior to Paul’s trade that his most preferred destination was with the Anthony on the New York Knicks, however the club did not have enough pieces to offer New Orleans in return.

NBA commissioner David Stern has said that he was only “generally informed about the discussions” prior to his veto of a trade that would have sent star point guard Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets to the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Jonathan Feigen in the Houston Chronicle.  But Feigen cites two sources “with direct knowledge of the talks” who believe that Stern is not being completely accurate — and, in fact, one of those sources calls Stern’s version of the events “an outright lie.”

According to Feigen’s source, Hornets general manager Dell Demps told Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey (whose team was also to be part of the deal) that Stern had been kept up to date throughout the process.  Demps’s assertion is especially significant since the NBA currently owns the Hornets.  Feigen’s source characterized the situation thusly:

“He said that David was briefed and that it was a done deal. He (Demps) said multiple times that he briefed both of his local officials, (Hornets president) Hugh Webber and (Hornets chairman) Jac Sperling, and they and Dell at regular intervals were updating (NBA vice presidents) Stu Jackson and Joel Litvin and that they told David himself throughout the day. Also, Hugh and Jac, who were updating the league office, understood it to be a deal.”

None of the general managers is quotes in Feigen’s story, but reports following the veto indicated that Kupchack and Morey were exceedingly displeased with the outcome.

Following the abortive trade with the Lakers, Paul was eventually dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers for a package of younger players and a high draft pick.

Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin’s reaction to news of the Chris Paul trade was caught on tape by Fox news cameras outside of the Staples Center Wednesday. Griffin and teammate DeAndre Jordan appeared enthusiastic about the trade.

The NBA-owned Hornets began trade talks with the Clippers earlier in the week before agreeing to terms late Wednesday night. The deal failed several times with reports claiming the league requested too high of an asking price for Paul. The Clippers eventually conceded and traded budding star Eric Gordon along with Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and a first-round pick in return for Paul.

Chris Paul, who was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday, took time to give thanks to the New Orleans Hornets organization and fans via Twitter.

“THANK YOU NEW ORLEANS for 6 of the BEST years of my life…to the organization, my teammates, coaches, and the fans you will always be my family and have a special place in my heart!!!”

Prior to the trade, Paul had spent his entire six year playing career with the Hornets averaging 18.7 PPG, 9.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds. The 26-year-old is a four-time NBA All-Star and was named Rookie of the Year in 2006.

The Los Angeles Lakers front office is reportedly “privately fuming” over the Chris Paul trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, according to the LA Times.

The approved trade comes just six days after the league nixed the Lakers’ three-team trade bid for the All-Star point guard, which included players Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol. The proposed trade shocked Odom, who failed to report to training camp and demanded a trade. He was subsequently dealt to the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said Monday the league’s move to block the trade was “completely unexpected” and that the front office “did the best [it] could to express [its] displeasure.”

After the Lakers deal fell through, the NBA-owned Hornets began trade talks with the Clippers earlier in the week before agreeing to terms late Wednesday night. The deal failed several times with reports claiming the league requested too high of an asking price for Paul. The Clippers eventually conceded and traded budding star Eric Gordon along with Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and a first-round pick in return for Paul.

The Lakers, who began the abbreviated free agency period shopping for complementary star for Kobe Bryant, appear to be out of options. With Chris Paul off the market and the Orlando Magic no longer entertaining offers for Dwight Howard, the LA Times source says “they don’t feel like there’s any decision they have to make right now.”

Sources have told ESPN that the Los Angeles Lakers are still angling to land all-star point guard Chris Paul.

“The Lakers are definitely still in this,” a source told ESPN.

Paul looked destined for the Los Angeles Clippers Monday, but the New Orleans Hornets — a franchise owned by the NBA — was asking for too much. Still, the Clippers are very much alive in negotiations for Paul, as well.

The report states, in fact, that the NBA would much prefer to send Paul to the Clippers, not the Lakers.

Newly acquired Dallas Mavericks forward Lamar Odom said that he felt “disrespected” by the Los Angeles Lakers after they attempted to move him in part of a three-team trade for Chris Paul, ESPN Dallas reports.

“I felt a little disrespected. After being here for so long and going through so many things, I felt like they could have just told me and I probably would have accepted it,” Odom said to ESPN Tuesday. “If someone is telling you that you can’t be here or there’s no more room for you, you got to understand that. I think because it’s just how they did it is the reason why I took it so personal.”

Odom skipped the first day of Lakers training camp Friday following the failed three-team trade attempt and was quickly traded away over the weekend to the Dallas Mavericks. The initial trade would have sent Odom to the Hornets, where he would have become one of the team’s top scorers. Instead he was shipped to Dallas where he will join the reigning NBA champions in their quest for their second title.

The packaging of Odom did not sit well with team superstar Kobe Bryant, who later told reporters that he didn’t like the move.

“To be honest with you, I don’t like it,” Kobe Bryant told reporters. “It’s tough to lose Lamar. Pau (Gasol) is still here, and we’re all thankful for that. It’s hard when you’ve been through so many battles with players to just see them go somewhere else. It’s tough.”

New Orleans Hornets’ point guard Chris Paul was poised to move to Los Angeles to join the Clippers earlier Monday, but the deal fell through after the NBA — which owns the Hornets — asked for too much in return. Now, however, sources have indicated to ESPN.com that the deal may be a possibility again.

Los Angeles general manager Neil Olshey said Monday that the deal could be renewed if some of the details were altered.

“Everything’s over until it’s reborn again,” Olshey told ESPN. “I’m not going to drag this out. New Orleans made a fair offer on their end. We didn’t think it was something we wanted to pursue at this point and we move on.”

Perhaps as security, the Clippers signed veteran point guard Chauncey Billups earlier Monday.