NBA Rumors: Trading for Chris Paul Could Influence LeBron James' Free Agency

Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that multiple teams have recently been targeting Chris Paul in potential trade scenarios.

The New Orleans Hornets have turned down lucrative offers from both Memphis and New Jersey for Paul. The Hornets are not actively shopping Paul, nor do they have a strong desire to move the All-Star point guard.

However, many NBA sources believe that, if the price is right, it would still possible to acquire Paul, especially with the emergence of Hornets' PG Darren Collison during the 2009-10 season.

Nevertheless, the general consensus around the league is that there is only a small window of time during which Paul could be moved: before the sale of the New Orleans franchise is finalized. 

Additionally, infamous NBA personality William Wesley has become actively involved in the process, publicly stating that trading for Paul would strongly influence the decision making of LeBron James, Wesley's associate.

James and Paul were Olympic teammates, and the two are reported to be quite friendly with one another.  Furthermore, as NBA teammates, they could likely dominate the league for years.

Expect many more teams to target Paul, for the opportunity to obtain a elite PG as well as the chance to sway the thinking of LeBron, would vastly improve the future prospects of any and all NBA franchises.