NBA Trade Speculation: 10 Teams That Will Take Aim at Chris Paul This Summer
Rumor has it that New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul has wanted out of the Big Easy since the start of last summer.
Heading into year two of his disgruntled situation, many believe Paul will actually make a move towards jumping ship this time around.
Speculation has included names like the Knicks, Lakers and Magic, which all apparently are on a short list of potential targeted destinations.
Here are 10 other teams that might go after the superstar point guard.
Cleveland Cavaliers
1 of 10
The Cleveland Cavaliers need to fill the "star" part of their roster, which has been left vacant since the departure of LeBron James.
They have plenty of trade leverage with Baron Davis, a former Hornet, who could be productive and invited back to New Orleans.
Chris Paul would ignite the Cavaliers team and fanbase and hopefully return them to playoff contention. The only thing that makes this trade less likely is the fact that Cleveland doesn't have a championship pedigree at the moment.
Chris Paul would like to be part of a championship contending team.
Atlanta Hawks
2 of 10
This might make a few Hawks fans cringe ever so slightly. If there was any positive that came out of the 2011 postseason, it was the fact Jeff Teague emerged as a very solid and confident point guard, thanks to plenty of postseason playing time.
But Teague, while obviously much better, might never reach the lethal level that Paul is at in terms of being a game-changer.
Hawks fans are also pretty weary with Joe Johnson's presence. He has struggled to achieve at a level that reflects his contract.
Could Joe Johnson or even Teague be involved in a Chris Paul trade? It's a possibility. The Hawks would have to do a lot of retooling, but with Josh Smith and Al Horford, they could quickly get back to their 50-win caliber.
Charlotte Bobcats
3 of 10
The Bobcats have a pretty potent point guard in D.J. Augustin, who even reminds some of a younger Chris Paul.
But, like Teague, he's just not quite the star-caliber player.
Chris Paul could become a target for Charlotte, a team that could use a big-name player on their roster.
This would be a less likely trade because of Charlotte's steps still to take before they become a top team, but the Bobcats have been a team on the upswing.
A good culture could very well exist in Charlotte, in terms of basketball. Paul could ignite that culture.
Los Angeles Clippers
4 of 10
It's hard to believe it, but the Los Angeles Clippers are a franchise ready to burst onto the major sports scene.
One of their positions of need is at point guard, where Mo Williams and the young Eric Bledsoe are the one and two options, respectively.
With the emergence of Blake Griffin, the Clippers are a star away from becoming seriously legitimate Western Conference contenders.
Paul could be the answer. Obtaining Paul in a trade would be quite a difficult task for the Clippers to accomplish, but they could pull all of the stops and maybe find a three-way trade to get him to L.A.
Not just in L.A., but in a red and blue uniform instead of a gold and purple one.
Sacramento Kings
5 of 10
The Kings are, well, in a deep hole.
They need to climb a long ladder to become relevant in the basketball world again.
But they have talent, especially with Tyreke Evans, and are a player or two away from improvement.
Chris Paul would be a great addition to the team, taking over the spot currently held by Beno Udrih.
Needless to say, if any team needs a new face at point guard, it's Sacramento.
Houston Rockets
6 of 10
The Rockets would have to work a lot of magic, but they are another team who desperately needs any type of big-name player they can get.
They would likely have to surrender a lot of draft picks and make some trades to get higher-valued players, but making a run at Paul would definitely be in their interest if they want a chance of improving their ballclub.
While fairly productive, Kyle Lowry is not the long-term solution at point guard for the Rockets.
Denver Nuggets
7 of 10
Ty Lawson, a former college basketball phenom, is currently the leader of the pack in Denver.
Losing Carmelo Anthony drastically hurt Denver's perception, as well as their firepower.
While Lawson is a nice option at point guard, the fact of the matter is Denver needs a big-time player who could cancel out losing a guy like Anthony.
They have players to make an upfront trade, including guys like J.R. Smith, Nene and others.
Orlando Magic
8 of 10
Now we get to the teams who seem to be most poised to take a stab at Chris Paul.
Up first, the Orlando Magic.
Jameer Nelson has been a reliable and streaky point guard and a clutch performer in many cases.
Paul, however, would love to be a on team with championship potential like Orlando.
His presence could take this team over the top and put them back into the driver's seat in the Eastern Conference.
Especially considering the fact Boston continues to get older and older.
New York Knicks
9 of 10
The New York Knicks are stacked right now with Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony at the helm.
But if the current trend of the NBA indicates anything, having three superstars is the solution to building the optimal championship contender.
Chris Paul would obviously fill the spot here and would be a nice addition to a team currently run by point guard Tony Douglas, who, while productive, isn't a long-term solution at point guard.
Los Angeles Lakers
10 of 10
Derek Fisher did not have a good year for the Lakers in 2010, and it's obvious their primary position of need is point guard.
The Lakers are in prime position to land Paul, if that's in their interest.
With Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, the Lakers are in perfect shape to trade.
They could fill their major position of need without losing firepower in the team.
