NBA Rumors: Boston Celtics and Teams Looking for Chris Paul Rental
The field for the teams looking to acquire New Orleans' Hornets star point guard Chris Paul is getting desperate. Chris Broussard and Mark Stein are reporting that three teams are willing to rent Paul's services for the 2011-2012 season. These teams are literally trying to force themselves on Paul in hopes that he falls in love and decides to stay. These types of relationships never work out.
The Celtics, Rockets and Mavericks are said to be the teams willing to risk it for one of this offseason's prized biscuits.
The deal could turn out OK, even in worse-case scenario. If the Celtics were to trade Rajon Rondo to the Hornets, as has been rumored, and Paul plays this year and opts out, the trade would result in nothing more than a salary dump for the Celtics.
They will have escaped from the long-term deal they signed Rondo to, one which it is beginning to seem like they regret. This gives the Celtics an opportunity to rebuild their team with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Chris Paul's huge contracts coming off the books.
The Celtics would then be in play for the 2012 free-agent class, which could feature: Deron Williams, Dwight Howard, Gerald Wallace, Nicolas Batum, Kevin Love, Chris Kaman, JaVale McGee and Brook Lopez. This would also put Chris Paul back in play to re-sign; he could evaluate the Celtics' moves and decide then if he wanted to re-sign.
The two Texas teams would have a similar scenario, except they wouldn't have as many players coming off the books as Boston.
It is a risk on the part of the teams reportedly considering it, but it is certainly a calculated one.
