Chris Paul to Knicks: NY Fans Need a Dose of Reality When It Comes to Rumors

Last summer, allegedly, Chris Paul made a wedding toast at Carmelo Anthony's wedding suggesting that the New York Knicks would form "our own big three."

Despite of the fact that noted New York Knicks fan and wedding attendee Spike Lee passed on the chance to confirm that report, it has been widely accepted that it's a foregone conclusion by Knicks fans that the New Orleans Hornets star will  be a New York Knick.

Let's tap the brakes for a second. 

There are three major arguments that Knicks fans make in regards to this topic. First is the friendship that Paul shares with the two Knicks stars. Then there's the infamous wedding toast where he allegedly stated his desire. Third, there's the argument that Paul will take less money to "make it work" financially. 

The first and third of these arguments are tied together. My question for Knicks fans is this: If this was worked out before hand and all a factor of their great friendship, why did Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony take max deals and leave Paul with so much less? 

Now I know that you're going to argue that Paul gets endorsements and all of that, but so could STAT and Melo. My question in regards to this friendship-pact is, why is Paul left with the least amount of money?

While the other two of the big three hauled in close to $20 million a piece last year, they'll be making almost 50 percent more than Paul's $13.5 million. Doesn't the logic of a friendship pact suggest that they would evenly split the difference?

Why didn't the other two take two million less and allow Paul four million more? Then they could be making  $17.5 million a piece.

Over the course of their contracts, they will both make $40 million more than Paul. Where was the friendship when they were signing their max deals and leaving Paul the crumbs?

One of two things is unarguably true: Either Anthony and Stoudemire are the most selfish "best friends" in the world, or there was no pact. While this argument is completely logical, it will no doubt go ignored. 

Then there is the wedding toast itself. I find several things intriguing. First and foremost is that you can't find a person who will actually confirm it happened. The Post story cites "a person who spoke to Amare Stoudemire." 

So be clear here, your entire premise rests on the word of "a person." That's hardly an iron-clad, signed in blood, court-sanctioned pact. It's possible this didn't happen at all. It's possible it was something said in passing.

It's at least possible that this didn't mean that all the planets were hurling in a singular linear direction to lineup so that Paul would be a Knick.

Yes, Melo became a Knick after this. But bear in mind, the 'Melo to the Knicks rumors were coming long before the toast. That does not confirm in any way that this was either a valid rumor or that there was a pact. 

Furthermore, there are confirmed reports that Paul has stated in an interest n both Charlotte and the Los Angeles Clippers. So if you want to take what Paul actually said as evidence he's going somewhere, he's going to no less than three different places. 

Of course Knicks fans will argue that he just said the other things to be political and the only rumor that is valid is the one reported by "a person." 

Finally, there's the money and whether it would "work." There's a way it would work but it's presuming an awful lot. John Hollinger of ESPN lays out the math (insider only):

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Let's quickly follow the salary-cap logic involved in Paul moving to the Knicks as a free agent:

• The current salary cap is at $58 million with the players taking a 51.1 percent share of BRI.

• Next year, the players' share goes down to 50 percent, likely offsetting any increase in BRI itself. In other words, one can reasonably expect next season's salary cap to be right around $58 million.

• The Knicks have $39.5 million committed just to Stoudemire and Anthony. (And before you ask, they cannot renegotiate their contracts downward.)

• Even if the Knicks got rid of everybody else and just had those two on the roster, the 10 "cap holds" for minimum salary players would occupy another $5 million in salary cap space.

• That means the Knicks have an absolute minimum of $44.5 million committed.

• Which, in turn, leaves the Knicks with an absolutely best-case scenario of a $13.5 million starting salary for Paul.

Paul will make $16.4 million this year and would be opting out of $17.7 million in 2011-12. Should he opt out next summer, a new five-year contract with the Hornets would start at $17.177 million and pay him as much as $22.3 million by the end -- a total of $98.8 million. In comparison, over the life of the maximum allowable four-year deal with the Knicks, he could get only $57.6 million.

So if Paul really wants to go to New York, he can go -- as long as he's willing to give up, at a minimum, forty million dollars to do it. (The same, incidentally, applies for Deron Williams or Dwight Howard.)

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Bear in mind this is not "hating." It is not a "Bulls fan being afraid." It is math; the numbers are there. Argue with them, not the motive.

Finally, let's not ignore the fact that the trade offer that the Knicks could put together is likely going to be short of anything any other player wants to put together. The only way the Knicks get Paul from New Orleans is if Paul is resolute in his stance that he will go to New York and only  New York.

The Knicks gave up every decent asset they had to acquire Carmelo Anthony.

To argue that Chris Paul is going to New York is to argue that he is set on playing with a bunch of veteran minimum scrubs and two "besties" that stiffed him for $40 million so they could have everything, and that he's lying about going anywhere else just to throw people off the scent. 

In other words, you're saying that you want to put all your hopes in a lying chump. Personally, I just have more respect for Chris Paul than that.