Knicks Trade Rumors: Why New York Must Make an Immediate Play for Chris Paul

The Chris Paul rumor-mill has exploded, even more so than before, but as exciting as his situation may be to monitor, time is officially running out for the New York Knicks.

It seems like a lifetime ago that Adrian Wojnarowski and Mark J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reported that the point guard apparently requested a trade to New York. At that point, it seemed like Paul was destined to land in a Knicks uniform. Now, however, not so much.

The Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics are all teams that remain hot on Paul's trail, and are all teams that have more to offer than New York. For this reason, if the Knicks truly envision Paul in orange and blue, they must make an immediate push for the All-Star point guard.

The best offer that New York can make consists of Chauncey Billups' expiring deal, Landry Fields, Toney Douglas and the rookie Iman Shumpert. This package pales in comparisons to what teams like the Warriors can offer, but it is the Knicks effort that counts most here.

As already pointed out, if Paul truly wants to be in New York, he can make it happen. He possesses the ability to force his way onto the Knicks, but has seemed hesitant to fully exert his leverage thus far.

And it is now up to the Knicks to convince him to.

We have heard more about Paul's push to get to New York than we have about the Knicks' push to obtain the point guard. All along it has seemed that it is solely up to Paul to land himself next to Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire.

That is not the case however.

Regardless of how unappealing the Knicks' offer to the Hornets would be, they still have to make one. New York has to call New Orleans and let them know that their roster—sans Anthony and Stoudemire—is the Hornets' for the taking.

Such an offer is unlikely to peak the interest of New Orleans any further, but it is bound to catch Paul's attention. If he sees the Knicks making an immediate push for him rather than waiting around in hopes he does the dirty work for them, it could go a long way in what he opts to do next.

Yes, given the situation, and the Knicks' shallow pool of assets, it is almost entirely up to Paul to make a move to New York a reality, but it is not solely up to him. 

Paul trade rumors have heated up surprisingly quickly, even for a player of his caliber, but that is no reason for New York to stand almost idly by, tossing a few coins in a  wishing-well and calling it a day.

The Knicks cannot offer the likes Stephen Curry or Rajon Rondo, but they must remember they can offer Paul an opportunity to play alongside two of his best friends. And if the Miami Heat have taught us anything, it's that.

Perhaps you don't think that playing alongside Anthony and Stoudemire is all that important to Paul. After all, pairing up with Monta Ellis, Blake Griffin or Paul Pierce is at least just as enticing. 

Is it, though?

Paul has already made it clear to the teams pursuing him that their chances of retaining him beyond next season dramatically increase if they sign his buddy Tyson Chandler. The fact that he is trying to broker a deal for someone he has a strong desire to play alongside is extremely telling.

Championship attainment and lucrative contracts are extremely important when a player of Paul's caliber is deciding his future. But so is camaraderie.

And the Knicks would be wise to not forget this, as they can offer more in this department than any other team in the hunt for the star point guard's services. 

You can follow Dan Favale on Twitter here @Dan_Favale.