Hold onto your dicks, boys...


COULD PAUL BE TRADED?

New Orleans star point guard Chris Paul insisted he was serious when he said there's a chance he soon could be traded.

Paul was interviewed Thursday by Pro Basketball News, and asked about his team's financial situation. The Hornets are staring at being well over the luxury tax, and might have to dump some big contracts.

"In this league, anything can happen," said Paul, at the summer league to watch his Hornets. "I can be dealt."

Paul then was asked that surely he can't be serious he could be traded.

"It's possible," he said. "It's possible."

The Hornets made a move last February to save money by dealing center Tyson Chandler to Oklahoma City. However, the trade ended up being rescinded after health concerns surfaced regarding Chandler.

Paul is hopeful the Hornets will end up retaining their key players, but knows nothing is certain.

"Right now, it looks like the same cast," he said. "But, if something happens, it happens. ... Me and (forward James Posey say to one another that) we've got to work with what we've got and go out and play hard."

Posey hopes the Hornets won't end up again dealing Chandler.

"You never want to see it," Posey said. "But I'm a player and my job is to go out there and play hard. ... You can't control that part of it (the Hornets' money situation). You've got to control what you can."

http://www.probasketballnews.com/story/?storyid=647

We don't need him.

I doubt he's on the block. Joe better inquire though just in case.

That's what I'm talking about King Joe!

I was going to try and come up with a trade package for him, but it's really just as simple as "Whatever they want".

Pretty much, yeah.

I suppose I wouldn't mind giving Kwame for him, as long as we sign Ben.

Kwame was picked higher in the draft...just saying.

This must be the move that Villinueva was talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Never doubt people without eyebrows!

If we hadn't already used our space, this would be possible. They want to cut salary. They'd want to dump a terrible contract with him if they moved him. With the cap room we had, they could have sent us Paul, Peja or Chandler's gigantic deal, and another smaller deal like Posey or Mo Pete for something like Stuckey, Rip or Prince, Kwame's expiring, and a pick. We'd rid them of $15m in salary with that deal. We're not making any deals with them for Paul now that we've only got $3-4m in space.

You can add Kwame's salary to that 3-4 mil too. Wouldn't help them this year but would next year.

If we hadn't already used our space, this would be possible. They want to cut salary. They'd want to dump a terrible contract with him if they moved him. With the cap room we had, they could have sent us Paul, Peja or Chandler's gigantic deal, and another smaller deal like Posey or Mo Pete for something like Stuckey, Rip or Prince, Kwame's expiring, and a pick. We'd rid them of $15m in salary with that deal. We're not making any deals with them for Paul now that we've only got $3-4m in space.

This is a perfect example of why I was unhappy that Joe spent almost all of the cap space on the first day.

the Hornets can shut down their ballclub if they trade Paul, no way that happens...

This is a perfect example of why I was unhappy that Joe spent almost all of the cap space on the first day.


Except for the whole "Chris Paul is in no way actually available" part.

We dont need Paul????? We dont even have a PG. Just a bunch of combos

the Hornets can shut down their ballclub if they trade Alonzo Mourning, no way that happens...

Except for the whole "Chris Paul is in no way actually available" part.
So you don't think that throwing Stuckey, Rip, Kwame, cash & picks at them for CP3 and Chandler's contract would get their attention at all?

If I'm anybody other than George Shinn, I would probably reject pretty much any combination of players on the Pistons roster for Chris Paul.

So you don't think that throwing Stuckey, Rip, Kwame, cash & picks at them for CP3 and Chandler's contract would get their attention at all?


0%

How fast could a team like OKC or POR with their cap space and talent get NOs attention?

Portland makes the most sense, I agree.

If I'm anybody other than George Shinn, I would probably reject pretty much any combination of players on the Pistons roster for Chris Paul.
I don't see where he could trade with any team and get more than what he has. I couldn't imagine a Kobe or LeBron energizing that market any more than what CP3 has done.

CP3 just wants to be traded, however improbable that is, and no one can blame him for that sentiment.

I don't see him explicitly demanding a trade, just saying that there is the possibility of a trade.

So you don't think that throwing Stuckey, Rip, Kwame, cash & picks at them for CP3 and Chandler's contract would get their attention at all?

No. If they really need to cut costs (and can't find a place for Chandler) they'll move West first. Paul sells the tickets, not West.

John Hollinger's Take
Nice try, Chris "Sounds like wishful thinking from a guy who sees the handwriting on the wall. The Hornets indeed are in a financial bind since their current payroll will be well over the luxury tax the next two years, and that will likely force them to trade some expensive starters at some point. But if they're going to deal an All-Star, it will be David West (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=2177), not Paul, who changes addresses. Short of somebody offering LeBron James (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=1966) or Dwight Howard (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=2384), there is literally no fair trade that could possibly be made involving Paul, a 24-year-old superstar with three years still left on his contract."

Oh well, I suppose we could take West, then.

I wonder if RIP/Kwame and taking on some crap contracts would do it.

We don't need Paul at all.

Would you rather have Paul or Dwight Howard?

Austin Daye.

Austin Daye.

my goodness people are jumping the gun on this one. he ain't going anywhere.

and even if he were, we don't have the assets to make a trade with them. it would be nice, but sorry- it's a pipedream.

To be filed under "What are they supposed to say?"...


In response Friday, Hornets President Hugh Weber said the possibility of them trading Paul is zero.

"There is no chance of him getting traded,'' Weber said sternly. "I don't know how to say it any stronger, but there is just no deal we would contemplate for Chris. I can't speak for Chris, but I think he was talking about the nature of the business and the fact that the question was asked the way it was.''

Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower said from Las Vegas Friday morning he is investigating many things in regard to free agency and possible trades to improve the roster, but he said trading Paul would not meet any of those objectives.

"I have not nor will I enter any discussions for him,'' Bower said."(Trading Paul) is not going to happen. I think what Chris said just shows his selflessness that he's not different than anyone else on the team.''

Paul signed a three-year contract extension that included an option for a fourth year last summer. Paul's contract is valued at $68 million when the fourth year is included.

I agree that he sounded like he was speaking about the business of the NBA. Anyone can be traded, you never know. If he'd been talking about how the economy sucked and they were having money problems then said "Don't worry, I'm safe, I'm too good for them to get rid of" he'd have sounded like a jackass.

He was my number one target for the Pistons and I have stated so much before. That said this just sounds like conjecture. If New Orleans was going to move him, they would have done it when all our cap room was available so they could have saved a ton.

if they traded paul just for some spare parts and cap room, there would be more burning and looting in new orleans than after katrina. it would be a magnificent PR disaster and could never happen.

he is one of the most beloved superstars around and maybe even recent memory. he ain't getting traded for anything less than lebron james. maybe.

and we all know deals like that don't happen. this discussion is a waste of time. so is the time you spent reading my post. and this sentence.

Tell me more

He was my number one target for the Pistons and I have stated so much before.
You say this like he's your little secret that no one else was aware was any good...

and this sentence.

That is not a sentence.

That is not a sentence.

True.

For you non-twitter folk....



Jus for the record too...I'M NOT GOIN ANYWHERE!!! No clue what Chris Thomasson was talkin about, but I didn't say any of what he was say ...

http://www.probasketballnews.com/story/?storyid=651