NBA Playoffs: Why Hornets over Lakers Is Key to NY Knicks Pursuit of Chris Paul

Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks may be eliminated from the playoffs, but their work is far from complete.

Amid all the speculation about the futures of President Donnie Walsh and coach Mike D'Antoni, there are still lingering questions about what player-pieces are missing from this complicated New York puzzle.

All along the plan has been for the Knicks to put together a "big three" of their own, and they have not deviated from that blueprint despite what many people may believe.  Regardless of what the Knicks do with Chauncey Billups, their eyes are fixated upon the Summer of 2012 and potentially adding Chris Paul or Deron Williams.

It is widely know that while the Knicks would be happy with either of the two, their preference is Paul, who is considered more of a game-changer then Williams.

Paul is having a great postseason.  He is averaging 24.4 points and 11.6 assists per game, and is leading his Hornets to a very competitive postseason matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite his efforts though, after Tuesday night's 116-90 loss, New Orleans is down 3-2 and faces elimination in Game 6.

And this is bad news for Knicks fans who are also Paul advocates.

After Anthony headed to the Knicks, many believed it was only a matter of time before Paul joined him.  However, nothing is set in stone.  The Knicks are limited in the number of scenarios in which they can obtain Paul, which makes a Hornets upset of the second-seeded Lakers essential in New York's plans.

Why?

If it becomes clear to the Hornets that Paul has no intention of returning after next season, they will, just as the Nuggets did with Anthony, trade him to get maximum value for his departure.

As of now, the Knicks do not have the kinds of assets to put together a competitive package for Paul as they did for Anthony, and as we learned with Anthony, you cannot count on the player to force their hand.

For New York to have the best shot at adding Paul, they need to hope that he enters free-agency.  And if the Hornets advance past the Lakers, there is a greater chance of that occurring.

If Paul leads the Hornets past the Lakers and beyond, both the organization and him will become more complacent with their situation.  Paul would be more willing to play the season out in New Orleans to see what kind of success the team could have and the Hornets front office may want to roll the dice and see if the team can play to keep their star.

New Orleans has played admirably against the heavily favored Lakers, and Paul has led the resurgence, but the Knicks need the Hornets to be triumphant in their quest to upset Los Angeles. 

Should the Hornets exit in the first round though, Paul has more reasons to leave and more importantly, less reasons to show an inclination to stay.  This would result in the Hornets placing him on the trading block, essentially killing the Knicks chances at obtaining him.

Currently, assuming New York exercises their team option on Billups, the Knicks greatest assets are his expiring contract and shooting guard Landry Fields, whose stock has fallen after a dismal playoff performance.

Basically, short of Fields playing at an all star level next season, New York cannot put together an enticing enough package to pry Paul from the Hornets.

It is not just the Knicks' preference that Paul enter free agency, rather it is a necessity.  And after the Anthony saga, it seems unlikely New Orleans would put themselves at risk of becoming the next Cleveland Cavaliers.

If Paul, in any way, demonstrates uncertainty in returning to the Hornets, or exhibits any desire to play elsewhere, the New Orleans front office will ensure they get maximum value for his departure.

However, if New Orleans finds a way to get past Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, the entire situation changes.  A series upset proves to Paul that his team is capable of making a postseason run and it increases the likelihood that the Hornets take a chance and hold on to him through next season.

So as the Knicks and their fans watch the rest of the NBA Playoffs unfold without a preference to the outcomes, they should keep in mind that they are not as detached from the situation as they believe.

New York may now be on the sidelines, but the future of the Knicks is still being determined on the court.