On one hand, wow, I mean I guess it might be better than nothing at all but an aging, average 3-and-D 3 and a shitty contract was all they could get? This is an ongoing disaster for the Hornets. Even if Hawes regains some of his form, he won't help them the way he could have helped the Clippers. Barnes is just a stopgap guy who might help them momentarily, I mean I remember meeting Barnes at UCLA when I was still in high school. He is not young.

From the Clippers' perspective they dump a buyer's remorse contact and a guy they'd have had to replace soon if not already (wasn't exactly clutch for them in them 'offs). What do they get back? Potentially an $18M albatross or potentially the answer to most of their problems. He can back up three positions and provide some of the toughness that Barnes did. They still need another big desperately and I don't think they have a first-round pick.

I had heard a rumor about Stephenson to the Clippers during the year but I can't say I saw this coming. I think it will turn out to be a wheel-spinning move but given the situation they were in, I definitely get why they did it. They had to take a risk to get what they needed and that risk is mitigated by the fact that they lamented signing Hawes almost as much the Hornets regretting signing Stephenson.