NBA Trade Rumors: Hornets Can't Afford to Deal Chris Paul Right Now

The NBA rumor mill is churning out a lot of good information even though players can’t technically be traded for another week. One of the biggest names on the market is New Orleans point guard Chris Paul, but don’t expect him to pack his bags this season.

Paul has been sending out some mixed signals about what exactly he wants for his future. All signs point to him wanting to play for a big market team—namely the New York Knicks—but he keeps saying that he loves New Orleans.

Ian Begley of ESPN.com wrote an article about the trade rumors surrounding Paul in which the star point guard is quoted as saying that his “heart is in New Orleans.”

In the same article it is mentioned that sources told ESPN’s Chris Broussard that Paul is refusing to sign an extension with the Hornets, and that “would force the team to either trade him or lose him as a free-agent.”

In addition to that, Yahoo Sports is reporting that Paul's agent has told the Hornets that he is not going to sign an extension and wants to be moved to New York. 

That article also mentions that the Hornets will be motivated to move their most valuable asset. I don't completely understand that line of thinking, at least at this point in time. 

But despite all these rumors surrounding Paul and where his future lies, it does not make sense for the Hornets to trade him. At least as long as the NBA owns the franchise.

It is simple business, really. Because the Hornets are more valuable with Paul on the team, which means that the league can sell the team for more money and the incoming owner can make his own decisions instead of having to be at the mercy of what the league decides to do with the star point guard.

Plus, teams are not going to give up valuable assets to acquire Paul if they don’t believe they have a chance to sign him to a contract extension. Considering that he sounds like he is only willing to play for the biggest of the big market teams, he is limiting the Hornets' options.

Paul can claim all he wants that his heart is in New Orleans, but the writing is clearly on the wall: He wants out.

Unfortunately, his ego and desire to only play in the bright lights of New York long-term make him virtually untradeable because the Knicks don’t have the trade chips to get a deal done. They can get another team involved, but there has to be some sweet return for them to be motivated to make something happen.

There are too many hurdles surrounding Paul right now to expect a deal to happen during the season. He will just have to wait until the summer and hold his own “Decision” special on ESPN.