Generous of me, yes, to allow the Clippers to have Chris Paul — since the trade is already made and I’m not the erratic and capricious commissioner of the NBA who can step in and quash a deal.

Lakers fans will be agitated about this trade, for two reasons: That Chris Paul will not be wearing purple and gold … but also that he will be wearing the red, white and blue of the Clippers.

The Clippers and Chris Paul makes for an interesting combination. But I am convinced this is anything but a disaster for the Lakers. It might even be good news.

Chris Paul and Blake Griffin make for an interesting combination. Young and dynamic, and all. Flashy. That benighted franchise will sell more tickets short-term. Absolutely. Whether they will be any better in the won-loss department remains to be seen.

The Clippers just gave up their four best trade chips (Eric Gordon, Minnesota’s 2012 No. 1 draft pick, Chris Kaman and  Al-Farouk Aminu) to bring in the league’s best point guard, but also a guy who is coming off his poorest season, had major knee surgery less than two years ago and played much of last season with a knee brace so bulky that it would have made Joe Namath do a double-take.

The Clippers just rolled the dice. Now, given that they’ve never done nothin’ … four playoffs appearances in 30 years in Los Angeles … maybe they should have rolled the dice. But they now have a guy with a bad wheel, just gave up a kid (Gordon) who may soon be one of the best shooting guards in the league … and what may be a lottery pick in a very strong draft.

They gave up a lot. And I know, yes, that the history of trades for superstars seems to indicate that no matter how much the team gaining the superstar gives up, it rarely really is too much. This may be an exception, however, if Gordon turns into a star in New Orleans and that draft pick turns out to be a No. 1.

Meanwhile, we must concede the Lakers, at this moment, are probably not even as good as the team that was swept out of the Western semifinals by the Dallas Mavericks. They have subtracted Lamar Odom and added … well, nothing, really.

It seems from this distance that the Odom trade to the Mavs was made out of pique, after Lamar declared his feelings bruised by his treatment (as part of the original, quashed Paul deal) … and the Lakers (and whichever Buss is actually running things, these days) just decided to send him on his way.

I wonder, though, whether it was all pique. Lamar is caught up in that Kardashian nightmare, and the club seemed less than comfortable with their sixth man living a reality TV series, last season. He is married to Khloe Kardashian, and even Lamar seemd a bit taken aback that his marriage means he’s now open season for intrusive cameras. No serious franchise wants to deal with that sort of distraction.

It was just time for Lamar to go. He will be missed, at times, and he probably will hurt the Lakers once or twice as a member of the Mavericks. But anyone who watched the Lakers during Lamar’s tenure knows well that he can seem to disappear for entire games, and when he does go 15 and 8, everyone wonders, “Why doesn’t he do that every night?”

The Lakers still have enough to be competitive, even with Kobe Bryant now up to 33. Much of their future depends on their two remaining big men, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. If those guys remain healthy and focused, the Lakers will be OK.

Meantime, long term, the Lakers may now be biding their time until the Orlando Magic finally do make Dwight Howard available via trade. I would rather have Dwight Howard than Chris Paul; the former has never been hurt, and a dominating 7-footer … well, the NBA has a real shortage of those, at the moment.

So, Lakers fans … stay cool. It may seem like the club has entered a rebuilding phase, and that’s pretty much what it is. But don’t blow up the club this minute, and don’t advocate that Jerry Buss or his impetuous progeny leap before they look.

Play out this first month or two, see how things go under the new coaching staff … and let the Clippers bask in the limelight for a moment, before the Sterling Curse kicks in and somebody gets hurt or sick or has something bad happen to him.

Chris Paul is a great player, when he’s healthy. But is he really healthy? And how long will that last?

As Lakers fans, aren’t you a bit releieved that it is the Clippers who are about to find out the answers to those questions, and not the Lakers? Had the Lakers gotten Chris Paul … well, their future was riding on him, and that was creepy.

Now, it could be Dwight Howard coming here. I’ll take Howard and Aging Kobe over gimpy Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.