Chris Paul Trade Rumors: Why CP3 Should Take Talents to Left Coast, Not Knicks

How much pull does Chris Paul really have? Can he really demand a trade and pick the team he wants to go to?

The New Orleans Hornets All-Star point guard has requested a trade to the New York Knicks through his agent, according to Yahoo! Sports.

It’s no secret that CP3 and Carmelo Anthony are very good friends, and the thought of creating their own big three in the Big Apple has been floating around since last summer’s infamous toast, but this is the first time Paul has taken action.  

He sees ‘Melo and fellow star Amare Stoudemire and wants to be a part of it all. Problem is, the Knicks have absolutely nothing the Hornets want. Yahoo! Sports writers Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc Spears agree:

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The prospects of the Hornets executing a trade with the Knicks appear to be relatively dim. The Knicks simply don’t have the trade assets that come close to meeting New Orleans’ criteria for a deal. Demps has been listening to overtures from teams around the league, and has been actively working under the assumption that Paul would reject a contract extension.

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The real team that Paul should request a trade from is the LA Clippers.

Who is the best alley-oop table-setter in the game? Paul.

Who is the best dunker in the game? Blake Griffin.

The duo would complement each other’s talents perfectly, and style-wise, it’s a seamless match of skills. Salary wise, the Clippers could offer Paul the max deal he craves and also have the pieces to make a deal.

DeAndre Jordan is a free agent, but they could do a sign and trade to include the fourth-year pro with another young talent like Eric Gordon. Consistent center Chris Kaman is also an attractive piece for the Hornets.

The Knicks, on the other hand, can’t afford CP3 and don’t have the trade assets.

If Paul sticks it out with the Hornets this season and opt out of the final year of his contract and become a free agent in the summer, he could sign a maximum four-year, $74 million deal with another team. The Knicks currently would have enough salary-cap room to offer him a four-year, $55.5 million contract with a starting salary of $13 million.

That’s a lot of money left on the table. Factor that in with the Knicks' complete lack of talent to offer New Orleans (Toney Douglas, Shawne Williams or Jared Jefferies, anyone?), and they signed point guard Chauncey Billups to a new deal before the lockout, and the logistics of a potential deal just don’t match up.

The Big Three in Miami didn’t need to take much of a pay-cut at all. Paul would be surrendering almost $20 million, something NBA players (or anybody) just don’t do.

Sure, it sounds great to play with you two good buddies in the mecca of the basketball world, but to quote one of the most famous hip-hop lines of all-time: If it don’t make dollars… it don’t make sense.