NBA Trade Rumors: Chris Paul Bound to Leave New Orleans Hornets

After blood was put into the waters by way of Chris Paul reportedly demanding a trade yesterday, it seemed like the NBA was right back to where it left off with tremendous amounts of speculation and a possible change atop the NBA standings.

With word coming in now that Paul denied demanding a trade, we now truly feel the NBA's presence as these unbelievable speculations start to get thrown out and when we truly can't decipher who is telling the truth and who is lying to satisfy the masses.

All we know currently about this situation is that the idea of Paul going to the Knicks is purely a rumor and that he's "just happy to be back with his team." Even though Paul remains a New Orleans Hornet up until the time he's traded or when he becomes a free agent, the idea of him going to the Knicks is still a real option as this isn't the first time we've heard rumors of CP3 wanting to go to New York.

Most importantly is the fact he'll be out of New Orleans if he does end up deciding to take his talents elsewhere. Paul has been with the Hornets since being drafted by the team with the third pick in the 2005 draft and has led the team to some of its best seasons in franchise history, including clinching its lone division title in 2007 when it won the Southwest as well as a franchise-high 56 games.

At that point in his career, Paul then began to expect that the Hornets would immediately start to begin surrounding him with talent capable of going the extra mile and not just bowing out in the second round. Since that 56-win season, the Hornets have made no blockbuster moves with the exception of signing free-agent Trevor Ariza and trading for Emeka Okafor.

Both players are quality role players, but on a team without much of a bench or another scoring option for Paul to work with next to David West, this team is exactly where it left off.

While every other team continued to improve by making the right pick in the draft, signing a big-name player during free agency, or making a huge trade, the Hornets have remained stagnant and have done nothing of great significance to reel in a big catch. Even with Paul having the possibility to attract players with his name alone and the fact that the Hornets salary has been relatively low compared to other teams, the organization hasn't been able to allow Chris to work with anything new besides two defensive-minded players.

Even last offseason when the Hornets knew they had to make a move because they knew Paul would likely consider leaving soon, the team made little to no effort to sign a solid player during a free-agency period where a number of superstars and All-Stars were up for the taking. The fact the Hornets couldn't at least make an attempt to sign one of these players would give reason enough for Paul to leave when observing the lack of effort or commitment by the organization.

Speaking of the organization, given that the team is currently owned by the NBA after George Shinn and Gary Chouest ran it into the ground isn't helping at all either. If you take Chris Paul out of this franchise, New Orleans turns out to be one of the least desired locations you could possibly head to. The team has no upside from Paul's role players besides David West, who is soon to be a free agent, and no upside from the front office, which is currently run by David Stern and his cronies.

Paul might have denied all of these rumors swirling around that he's going to the Knicks, but you can't help but think that he does actually want to get out of New Orleans. It's natural for any player to get frustrated to be as good as Paul is, but play on a team that barely gets over the 40-win threshold and with an organization that has made little to no effort to surround you with talent.

I'm not attempting to lambaste the Hornets franchise because they do at least have stellar fans in New Orleans, but it's going to take more than the love and adoration of a few fans to keep Paul in his current location. The team could offer him $20 million and then some and it still wouldn't be convincing enough of an argument for Paul to stay because he doesn't have much to look forward to once he runs through that money.

Every NBA player wants to win games. It's just in any players competitive nature to go out and win games and it's only on rare occurrences that you see players with no desire to win turn up. Paul is the type of player that wants to win and he's carried this team on his back since 2005 and has even resurrected this franchise following a down year where the team finished 18-64 and was rewarded with the No. 3 pick that they would take Paul with.

The Hornets fan base may be disappointed to know Paul may want to explore his options, but could you really blame him at this point? Teams are supposed to begin improving and building when they have 56-win seasons, not regress and think that opposing teams aren't going to wise up and catch up. They're in the most difficult division in the NBA, so of course teams like the Spurs and Mavericks would bounce back and attempt to claim what's theirs.

Paul may not reportedly have New York on the mind at the moment, but who's to say that he's not weighing his options outside of the Knicks? The Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers both want the services of Paul and can offer more money and just as much talent while a team like the Oklahoma City Thunder offers immediate championship contention and a fast-paced, young team that has a hunger for winning.

This year's free-agency class should be just as huge as the one next year when Paul does become a free agent. The Hornets have a number of players set to be free agents with one of those players being the team's only other All-Star in David West, who has been a perfect complement to Paul for a number of years. West's mid-range game has always been at the top of the class and his scoring represents one of the few outlets where the Hornets can actually find a consistent offensive output.

With players like Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor on their team, the Hornets need to recognize that players like those two are expendable and could very well be used as trade bait to potentially bring in a big name that can resurrect this franchise.

All Paul wants to do is win, and the team needs to provide him the tools to achieve victory. It's either that or obscurity and potentially losing the franchise to another city.

The ball is in your court, New Orleans.