NBA Trade Rumors: Ranking Latest Chris Paul Rumors from Least to Most Likely

It sure has been a longtime since that lockout, right? With all the speculation of signings and possible trades being completed before the free-agency period begins on December 9th, it's actually become pretty easy to get back into the NBA spirit and forget that we were once in a five-month ordeal where players and owners couldn't speak to each other and we were wondering if there would even be a season.

Lucky for us, we got the NBA back, which means that we won't have to endure the NHL playoffs and the beginning of the MLB season to struggle through. We can resume watching our favorite teams and players as they either make their push to the championship or just attempt to re-build by this juncture in their history.

What's gotten us most excited about the NBA season thus far is where exactly a certain New Orleans Hornets point guard is going to end up. The point guard who was a Rookie of the Year and is a four-time MVP. The point guard who finished second in MVP voting in 2008 and has been at the focal point of a number of trade rumors over the past week, with a number of these deals reaching high peaks before crashing down.

Whether it was the Boston Celtics attempting to swap him for Rajon Rondo or him supposedly demanding a trade to the New York Knicks that he would shoot down the next day, it's obvious to see that Chris Paul, and a lot of these players for that matter, had a lot pent up in them from the lengthy offseason period they missed, as well as the month's worth of basketball that they missed.

Nothing has yet to be decided on CP3, but there are a few legitimate rumors out there that could very well turn into facts, as the Hornets are even looking for ways to trade him so that they can get something out of him rather than risking losing him when he becomes a free agent and then seeing him leave, which would give the Hornets nothing in return.

We've seen a lot of trade rumors involving arguably the league's top floor general and we've ranked them from the least likely to the most likely to happen:

Golden State Warriors

To think that the Golden State Warriors might have already been able to make a trade with the New Orleans Hornets and obtain Chris Paul before the season started. After reporter Tim Kawikami wrote on Twitter, claiming that the Hornets were highly interested in Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, Golden State immediately skyrocketed to the top of the list of potential teams who the Hornets might actually make a deal with.

Unfortunately for both sides, that may not happen as the Warriors are extremely hesitant on dealing away soon-to-be-third-year guard Stephen Curry and as a result, talks have cooled down. Apparently, the team is willing to split up with shooting guard Monta Ellis, a player that they have been attempting to deal for awhile, but the Hornets are more hung up on Curry and his expertise at running an offense and converting from beyond the arc.

Unless the Warriors begin to think less of Curry and more of Paul, there's no way this trade leaves the ground.

Los Angeles Clippers

This team is no longer the punchline of every NBA joke you've ever heard. Now that they have Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon, the L.A. Clippers mean business and they want to take it up another level by adding Chris Paul to the mix. This team that finished with their best record since 2007 last season now sports some of the most promising young athletes in the league and with the postseason on their mind, they're already looking even further.

Sources claim that a trade between these teams would involve Chris Paul going to the Clippers and L.A. trading away Chris Kaman (and his contract that expires next year), Mo Williams and Eric Bledsoe. If you're thinking that this isn't a fair deal, it's because it isn't, as the Clippers are going to have to either add Griffin or Gordon to this mix in order for the Hornets to even begin thinking about a trade.

Bledsoe is the only promising player in that mix and will be entering his second season this year, but Mo Williams has little upside remaining while Chris Kaman is coming off of a devastating injury for the second time in three years, and the Hornets would still have to make sure to re-sign him when he becomes a free agent next year.

Unless the Clippers add one of their stars to this trade, it's never going to even get off the ground as the Hornets are coveting Gordon.

Dallas Mavericks

This deal comes way out of left field and it may just be the most legitimate one. Even though no reported formal offer has been made between the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Hornets, FS Southwest reports that the Mavs have plenty of trade chips that they could offer in return for Paul's services, with pretty much everyone not named Dirk Nowitzki being on the block.  

In that same piece, the report goes on to say that the Mavericks have shown a great deal of interest in Paul before and that they offered Erick Dampier in one deal and another which included Caron Butler, Rodrigues Beaubois and a few No. 1 picks as well as cash.

The Mavericks would be a terrific landing spot for Chris Paul, but the team currently has bigger fish to fry with the number of quality free agents that could be on the move over the next few weeks, which includes huge potential trade chips in Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler and J.J. Barea.

Dallas is a dark-horse candidate and if they can sign some free agents and work some sort of deal out, they might just come away with the biggest prize of the season.

Los Angeles Lakers

Sorry New York, but your time has come and gone and the Los Angeles Lakers now serve as Chris Paul's most desired location to play in. Who can blame him, either? He would be a part of a championship-caliber team and help form one of the most feared back courts in NBA history if he joins the Lakers, as he'll be playing alongside five-time champion and former MVP Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers have been at the center of a lot of trade talk this past week, as they've been saying that they're going to try to obtain Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard as well, but the rumors surrounding the Lakers and CP3 have ramped up with the team reportedly offering Pau Gasol in return. The Lakers are hoping to utilize their two biggest trade chips this offseason by offering Gasol to New Orleans and then using Andrew Bynum to reel in Howard.

It would be an excellent move for both sides, as the Hornets would receive a top-tier big man while the Lakers could easily replace him with Lamar Odom and then have Chris Paul running the point.

ESPN.com reported that the Hornets may be interested after seeing what else the Lakers could throw into the deal, so this particular rumor may actually have some legs.

Boston Celtics

In a projected deal that includes a package of point guard Rajon Rondo, power forward Jeff Green and two first-round picks, the Celtics may have the strongest offer for the Hornets after adding a few draft picks and a young big man with potential in former Oklahoma City forward Jeff Green.

The Celtics are doing whatever they can to obtain CP3 as a means to keep their team relevant once their big three begins to depart. They're looking for a leader to possibly push them over the top towards one or two more championship runs and then lead the team from there on out.

Rondo has been the point guard for the team since 2007 and was a part of the team that won a championship in 2008, but with the big three's production declining and Rondo not being the greatest offensive threat, the team is looking for a way to bring in the league's top offensive facilitator.

Supposedly, the Hornets' organization isn't too keen on the idea of swapping with the Celtics, which leaves this deal on the back burner for now. Sources also claim that Boston is attempting to work a third team into the trade.