NBA Trade Speculation: 5 Swingmen That Would Complement Chris Paul Perfectly
Chris Paul is one of the top, if not the absolute best, point guards in the entire NBA. There is no debating that fact.
Paul is a great defender, primarily because of his nose for thievery, a fantastic scorer and an even better distributor of the ball. When it comes to the mental aspect of the game, not many people can top Paul's skill.
So which swingmen (defined as players that can competently play shooting guard or small forward) would complement him perfectly?
These five guys would form terrific fits with Paul. Read on to find out who they are.
Carmelo Anthony
1 of 5Team: New York Knicks
2010-2011 Per-Game Stats: 25.6 points, 2.9 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 0.6 blocks
There is a distinct possibility that Chris Paul ends up in New York, in which case he'd find himself landing in an ideal situation with Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire.
Anthony is probably the league's best true swingman right now. He's a remarkably proficient scorer, both from long range and using his dizzying array of post skills near the basket. He's comfortable with the ball in his hands and spotting up to await a perfect pass from a teammate.
As good a scorer as the former Denver Nugget is, just imagine the dynamic duo that he could form with Paul.
Could This Happen?
Yes, it could happen, but it would most likely come next summer in the free-agency period. There is no way that Anthony is ending up with the New Orleans Hornets.
Kobe Bryant
2 of 5Team: Los Angeles Lakers
2010-2011 Per-Game Stats: 25.3 points, 4.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 0.1 blocks
In the past, there's no way that I would have wanted to put Chris Paul on the same team as Kobe Bryant, but my feelings about that have changed, much like the status of Bryant's long-term health.
No longer is Kobe the player that can go out, create for himself and dominate on a nightly basis. It would make his life far simpler if he was paired up with a point guard who could create for him at an elite level. That's where CP3 comes in.
Skill-wise, Kobe is still one of the absolute best players in the league. That said, he is no longer No. 1.
A point guard like Paul feeding him assists and creating easy scoring opportunities for him while taking some of the defensive burden off his back could re-elevate him into that position.
Could This Happen?
Kobe Bryant obviously isn't leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, but there's a chance that either Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum could move across the country and usher in the Chris Paul era in L.A.
Wilson Chandler
3 of 5Team: Denver Nuggets
2010-2011 Per-Game Stats: 15.3 points, 1.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 1.3 blocks
In the spectrum of swingmen, Wilson Chandler falls much closer to the small forward side than the shooting guard side. That said, he does possess skills of both positions.
Chandler is just 24 years old and is already on the verge of taking the next step in the NBA. His 15.3 points per game last season showed that he has a lot of scoring talent, and the number would only go up if he was playing alongside Chris Paul.
Personally, I don't believe Chandler is anywhere near done developing. He still has very high potential, and the former DePaul Blue Demon could blossom into an All-Star given the right situation. It's hard to imagine a much better one than playing in the same starting five as CP3.
Could This Happen?
This move is actually not possible during this upcoming season, but it could happen down the road. Chandler signed a contract with Zhejiang Guangsha in the Chinese Basketball Association, one that does not include an NBA out clause in accordance with the CBA's new rule. That means that even if the lockout is settled, Chandler will be stuck in China.
However, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he winds up playing alongside Paul after this season.
Kevin Durant
4 of 5Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
2010-2011 Per-Game Stats: 27.7 points, 2.7 assists, 6.8 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.0 blocks
Can you imagine the best scorer in the NBA teaming up with the best point guard? For the Derrick Rose supporters out there, I'll go ahead and clarify by saying that I simply mean he's the best at distributing the ball efficiently.
Kevin Durant has led the league in scoring each of the past two seasons, and that's been with Russell Westbrook, who can sometimes be mistaken for a ball hog, running the show from the point guard position. I can barely wrap my head around how good the Durantula and CP3 could be together.
Is 40 points per game possible? Could that actually be too low?
Could This Happen?
At one point, there was actually a trade rumor out there suggesting that CP3 and Westbrook could switch teams, but the rumor was quickly dispelled. Don't be too quick to dismiss the notion though. If the Thunder experience problems at the beginning of the season, they may pull the trigger on a deal like this one.
Andre Iguodala
5 of 5Team: Philadelphia 76ers
2010-2011 Per-Game Stats: 14.1 points, 6.3 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 0.6 blocks
Andre Iguodala enjoyed quite a bit of success during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, but it became increasingly clear each and every year that he wasn't ever going to be a true superstar. On the 76ers, he was forced to be the best player and not adopt his more natural Batman role.
Well, if he was playing alongside Chris Paul, he could take a backseat in the limelight.
Iguodala does everything well on the basketball court. He scores proficiently, he dishes the ball to teammates successfully, he rebounds at an impressive rate for his 6'6" frame and he's a fantastic perimeter defender. But other than his defensive abilities, nothing about his game truly stands out.
Paul would be able to make him that much better, and the two's skill sets would mesh together perfectly.
Could This Happen?
With the number of trade rumors that Andre Iguodala has been a part of, you can't rule anything out. This is included in the anything.
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Adam Fromal is a syndicated writer and Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
