Teams never get equal value for stars

Peter Vecsey
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Only once during four decades of covering professional basketball do I recall a team that became almost whole in a forced trade by its franchise player ... and that took two seasons after Milwaukee agreed to relocate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (and Walt Wesley) for Junior Bridgeman, Brian Winters, David Meyers and Elmore Smith.

Bucks executive Wayne Embry keenly salvaged the susceptible situation (the Knicks, Kareem’s other option, offered declining veterans) accruing promising (mostly) young talent in the deal. Embry understood there would be a sheer fall from grace to the bottom of the standings, and correctly assessed the Bucks would have ample battlefield experience to facilitate forthcoming rookies who figured to be regal.

HISTORY REPEATS: David Stern should know that, like the Nuggets with Carmelo Anthony (above), the Magic and Hornets will never bring back more talent for Chris Paul and Dwight Howard.

In 1977, two years after Kareem’s power play, Kent Benson was drafted No. 1 and Marques Johnson No. 3. The Bucks — adding Sidney Moncrief and other choice morsels along the way — advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in five straight seasons.

Numerous teams over the years have allowed their discontented superstars to get away without receiving near equal value.

Julius Erving’s refusal to report to Nets camp coerced impoverished owner Roy Boe to sell his services to the 76ers for $3 million. The franchise wasn’t the same until Jason Kidd arrived and guided it to two Finals.

The Timberwolves went from eight playoffs in a row, the last a conference finals, to perennial lottery participation in the wake of Kevin Garnett push to flee. The Celtics became automatic championship contenders, winning one. The T’Wolves, who got Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green and two first-rounders, instantly developed into Minny Ha-Ha.

We all believed the Nuggets did pretty well for themselves, considering the relentless pressure Carmelo Anthony put on them to trade him before camp even opened last season. Meanwhile, months later, what do they have to show for surrendering their money-making, crowd-pleasing official scorer? Dino Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and aging Andre Miller, who was exchanged for Raymond Felton?

You get the point. Evidently, David Stern did, too. More important, underlines a league source, the group that’s about to purchase the Hornets from the league, branded the deal sadly lacking.

That’s why he squashed the original three-way trade accenting Chris Paul. The commissioner rightly felt the Hornets were taking on too many overpaid players and not getting enough in return — in terms of capable youth and draft picks — to justify sacrificing their meal ticket.