Chris Paul Trade Speculation: Bobcats and Teams That Would Swap the Farm for Him
New Orleans Hornets superstar Chris Paul is not used to being the subject of swirling rumors about changing teams. He's also not used to playing in a lockout climate with free agency looming.
With the National Basketball Association's recent takeover of the floundering New Orleans Hornets, speculation surrounds the team on many fronts: relocation, roster moves, salary cap concerns and the lack of a prospective buyer.
Opposing teams should be hovering around the Hornets to capitalize on the team's uncertain future. Should the league or a new owner decide to trade Paul, it might be a move born of desperation, which could result in a discounted, though steep price.
In such a case, several teams should scrap their current strategy and do whatever it takes to acquire CP3.
Charlotte Bobcats
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Contender status: three pieces away.
No team is far from the playoffs in the East, and if not for a serious falter down the stretch, the Bobcats would still be playing. Paul Silas took over for Larry Brown and altered the Bobcats offensive philosophy to run and shoot quicker. The team responded well and seemed more suited for Silas' way of playing than for Brown's insufferable half-court sets.
Though their promising second-half streak waned down the stretch, the Bobcats showed promise for next year as the team jelled. They have a few pieces in place that are suited for the fast pace, but are still short for contending.
The farm: Three of Charlotte's top four, plus a first-rounder, to New Orleans for Chris Paul and an expiring contract.
Why it would work: Most importantly, Paul said last week that he would think hard about returning to his native North Carolina when he becomes a free agent in 2013, or in a sooner trade. If he is happy playing in Charlotte, then you know you'll get his best game. Secondly, a revenue-strapped New Orleans gets short-term talent and depth, while accomplishing long-term relief.
The Hornets could focus on re-signing David West and keeping D.J. Augustin to play point. Stephen Jackson and Tyrus Thomas are strong talents with palatable contracts (one expiring and one long-term) that would be trade assets next year.
Charlotte gets a franchise player that fits into their system and is the unquestioned keeper of the ball, which is something they haven't had; Jackson and Augustin ambiguously split ball-handling (ball-hogging in Jackson's case) currently and it hurts the team's flow. Bringing Paul in to run the offense and create everything without hogging the ball would make Charlotte much better on offense. His first-team defensive ability is unmatched among the league's best guards, improving a team that already D's up.
With Paul, Boris Diaw and little else, Charlotte would essentially have a blank slate to build around Paul. Keep in mind that Charlotte is a much more attractive free agent destination with Chris Paul in the fold.
Phoenix Suns
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Contender status: Rebuilding.
Last year's magical run to the West Finals is a distant memory for a team that lost its superstar center and doled out some heinous contracts over the summer. Steve Nash is the only positive thing that keeps this team from becoming the doormat of the Pacific.
Nash has one more year on his contract before he retires or signs a new contract. Whether Nash is a Sun or not, Phoenix has a long road a head of it back to the postseason.
The farm: Nash and Chris Paul get dealt for each other. The Hornets also get a protected top pick from Phoenix and give the Suns $3 million in cash.
Why it would work: The Hornets get a presumable lottery pick, Nash for a year and a rising forward in Dudley for cheap. Long-term salary flexibility becomes attainable without a superstar to pay beyond 2012. That flexibility, coupled with a few high draft picks, could have the Hornets looking young and talented very quickly, a la the 2009 Thunder.
If the Suns think that Aaron Brooks, who is a free agent, by way, is their future point guard, delusion has fully set in already. He is a shoot-first player that does have the speed to play uptempo, but will command a salary hike, which Phoenix can't afford. Paul can handle the Suns' attack with very little transition time while giving Alvin Gentry a new franchise player to build around. Phoenix never handles its draft picks well anyway, so why risk making another blunder in the draft when you can upgrade so significantly with Paul?
Portland Trail Blazers
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Contender status: One piece away from title contention, with short window.
Portland is strong and deep already, with the ability to score a lot of points in a lot of different places while locking down defensively and playing physical. LaMarcus Aldridge blossomed into a superstar overnight when Brandon Roy's knees betrayed him earlier this year, so he's the player that they must build around currently.
The Blazers have salary cap trouble, but relief coming. The team will have a much different look heading into 2012-2013 if a few key players depart. The team they have now is almost good enough to reach the top, but their constant injury woes perennially hold them back.
The farm: Chris Paul moves to the Northwest for two hefty expirings (Camby and Miller) and a building block in Matthews.
Why it would work: Andre Miller, Greg Oden and Marcus Camby all come off the books after 2012, so the team will look to re-sign them or reload in free agency anyway. Why not use that freed up money to take on Paul, and shore up your point guard spot for years to come? Brandon Roy could move off the ball into a scoring role, alleviating the burden on his body.
Paul can adapt his game to any team's style, which makes Portland's slow-down only a small problem. Paul would be well worth losing Camby up front and Miller at guard and could put the Blazers, with Aldridge, Roy, Gerald Wallace and Nicolas Batum.
New Orleans gets two formidable pieces to either re-sign or let go after 2012 and a shooting guard in Wes Matthews just itching to break out. Camby doesn't fit will with that the Hornets have down low, but he doesn't need a lot of minutes to have an impact at this point in his career. Miller has plenty of options to distribute to with David West, Matthews and company.
The only problem with arrangement for New Orleans is that they are giving up one of the league's most unquestioned alpha dogs and not getting one in return. On a talented roster of Matthews, Emeka Okafor, Carl Landry, West, Miller, Trevor Ariza and Camby, who's the leader? Who's the go-to-guy? Who takes the primary scorer role? The talent gets spread much broader after this trade and cap flexibility is there, but the Hornets would have to count the cost.
Los Angeles Lakers
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Contender status: Mid-dynasty.
The Lakers are in the middle of an historic run, looking for a three-peat and a fourth consecutive Finals berth. The rest of the league is catching up, though, and the Lakers are aging. Kobe Bryant is clearly declining, Andrew Bynum isn't a 20-year-old with a clean injury slate anymore, Ron Artest looks like a shell of himself just three years ago and Pau Gasol is probably right in the middle of his prime.
The Lakers don't have a lot of time to mess around, and it is imperative that they make the most of every opportunity they have left in the postseason. They are still at the top of the heap as the two-time Defending Champions, but several challengers are gunning for them and catching up to them in talent and experience.
The farm: Mitch Kupchak pulls the trigger on an elite guard, something that these Lakers have always lacked, in return for two All-Star caliber players.
Why it would work: New Orleans takes on Andrew Bynum, whose contract is slightly bigger than Emeka Okafor's, but with a lot more potential. The Lakers and Hornets bring in Philadelphia to take Okafor and balance salaries. Philly takes both teams hostage for $3 million in cash to make the deal work.
This trade improves the Hornets for obvious reasons. Yes, they lose Paul, but they gain a potential franchise center who is just 23 and the most versatile player in the league, each for at least two years. They get out from under Okafor's contract, which, though reasonable, is probably more than they wanted to give him after seeing how he's played.
The Lakers lose a lot of depth here, but there's no telling how much better their offense and ability to guard the West's great guards gets with Paul. They lose Odom off the bench and Bynum on the glass, which both hurt a lot; however, whatever they lose up front, where they still have Pau Gasol, they gain just as much in the backcourt. Another intangible benefit is brought up here: how much does Chris Paul extend Kobe's career by allowing him to play offense more efficiently, not handle the ball or have to guard smaller and quicker guards?
They're no longer Kobe, Pau, Bynum, Fisher and Odom, but Kobe, Pau and CP3 sounds infinitely better than any other trio of stars that the league currently offers.
New York Knicks
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Contender status: One building block and two role players away.
The Knicks, now with Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, are set up to compete for a spot in the upper half of the East. They own this year's No. 6 seed in the playoffs, but clearly are on the rise and have plans to improve further.
A trade for Chris Paul can't address all their needs, in part because the Anthony-Chauncey Billups trade gutted the Knicks of all their ancillary talent. When your top three is as good as a CP3-Melo-STAT triumvirate, however, you don't need a whole lot else to succeed. Just ask the Miami Heat about that.
The farm: There is absolutely no way this gets done unless Billups' expiring $13 million is involved. The Knicks simply can't match the outgoing salary that they're bringing in because only one player outside of the Stoudemire-Anthony-Billups trio makes more than $1.6 million. The Hornets would get two first-rounders from the Knicks, $5 million and this companion deal for more depth at forward.
Why it would work: For the Hornets: a stockpile of draft picks, free cash and tons of cap room for the Summer of 2012. As teams line up to grab expiring contracts at next year's trade deadline, Billups' contract could be a great trade chip if New Orleans decides they want to deal him for some pieces. Either that, or they wait until he expires in July and hit the free agent trail with fury. Either way, they'll have plenty of options and flexibility.
For the Knicks, this is the fruition of all the buzz about Paul joining forces with best bud Carmelo in Manhattan. They have long been rumored to want to play together, with Paul allegedly pledging to join Anthony in New York while making a speech at Anthony's wedding last year.
The Knicks somehow got their pet player, Landry Fields, in the aftermath of a big trade and installed him as the starter at shooting guard with the other three and Washed Up and Cheap Power Forward X. The Knicks would have no depth at all, and three players taking up over $47 million (around 80-85 percent of the payroll), but it would be hard for James Dolan and Mike D'Antoni to pass up a shot at uniting those three All-Stars.
And the Winner Is...
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Any of these teams, and more, could throw their hat in the ring to acquire Chris Paul. He is the most imminently available elite point guard out there, and every team pays attention to that, no matter how good they're set up at the position. Here is my handicap of the race for Paul:
Knicks: five to one
Lakers: 12 to one
Bobcats: eight to one
Blazers: 20 to one
Suns: 30 to one
Dark horses to land Paul:
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