NBA Trade Rumors: Ranking the Top 5 Players Involved in Chris Paul Sweepstakes

The 2011 NBA free agent bonanza that is about to take place is taking a back seat to all of the rumors involving Chris Paul and Dwight Howard.

The amount of players involved in a potential CP3 deal is starting to get comical. Seemingly half the league is currently in some sort of Paul rumor. Obviously it’s going to take an enormous deal to get arguably the best point guard in the league on your team, and there are a bevy of All-Stars involved.

I’m here to help the Hornets front office (aka the NBA league offices) and rank the five best players that have been linked to a potential CP3 trade.

5. DeAndre Jordan, LA Clippers

The Clippers make a lot of sense for Paul because of the assets they possess.

Jordan is a restricted free agent, meaning the Clippers can match any offer from another team. They could involve Jordan in a sign and trade with other pieces in order to nab Paul.

Jordan is only 23 years old, and has shown stark improvement in all three seasons in the league. Last year he was essentially Blake Griffin’s body guard in the post, doing all of the dirty work. He shot an incredible 69 percent from the field and was able to pull down 7.2 rebounds in only 25 minutes a game.

With a 6'11", 265 pound frame, this guy is a star in the making. Expect a breakout year for whatever team he plays for this season. 

4. Lamar Odom, LA Lakers

Aside from having to deal with a Kardashian on a regular basis, Odom is a great person to have around. The 12-year veteran knows the game, knows what he can and can’t do and is focused on winning. And he loves gummy bears!

Anytime you can get a 6'10", 230 pound player that can play center or bring the ball up the court you are in good hands. Did I mention he virtually matched his career numbers last season with 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds? 

3. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Curry is only 23, has one of the prettiest/most lethal jumpers in the game (44 percent from three-point land) and last year hit a mind-blowing 93 percent of his free throws.

He isn’t a true point guard, but has shown major strides in his first two years in the league. His ability to beat his opponent off the dribble and create shots for others is something bad shooters typically aren't good at.

Not Curry.

This is a guy you can build a team around.

Quietly the Warriors are emerging as one of the top destinations for Paul…and now you know why. 

2. Andrew Bynum, LA Lakers

The Lakers will not be trading for both Paul and Howard. It’s never going to happen. Anyway…

Bynum is the center of virtually every potential trade because of his age (24) his size (7', 285 pounds) and his playoff experience. It’s pretty insane to think that a 24-year-old already has over 60 games of playoff experience, but that’s what happens when a player straight out of high school goes to the Lakers.

While injuries have always been a concern, it’s hard not to like the progress he made last year. Not only did Bynum play the majority of the season, but he averaged 11.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and two blocks in only 27 minutes of action. That is some serious efficiency.

His presence in the paint is appealing to every team in the league that doesn’t have Dwight Howard. He is one of the only true centers and has a nasty mean streak that, for better or worse, was on display in last year’s playoffs.

He has the potential to be the second best player on a championship team. 

1. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

Boston management is really screwing with the chemistry of the Celtics.

They’ve been dangling Ray Allen for the past two trade deadlines, coldly traded Kendrick Perkins last season and now this.

Rondo is a unique point guard in the sense that he doesn’t care how many points he scores, yet he still has averaged 10.7 in his career because of his incredible quickness and foot speed that is among the top two or three in the league.

He’s a terrific playmaker with the ball in his hands and seems to always make the right decision on the break. His 11.2 assists to 3.4 turnovers is something any team would love to have from their point guard.

He has never had a major surgery before (unlike Paul) and is only 25. Rondo is only going to get better. I think the Hornets would be getting the better end of a Rondo for Paul deal because of Paul’s troubling knee and the $6M difference per year in their contracts.