NBA Trade Rumors: Clippers Must Forget About Chris Paul and Develop Young Talent

The Los Angeles Clippers have to forget about acquiring New Orleans Hornets superstar Chris Paul and continue to develop their young talent because that is the best way for the team to become perennial playoff contenders.

Talks between the Clippers and Hornets were re-engaged after a deal sending Paul to Los Angeles was reportedly dead.

The Clippers would be smart to tell the Hornets they are no longer interested. Parting with promising young talents such as Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe makes no sense for the Clippers.

Paul can become a free agent at the end of the season, so why give up the future to acquire him now when you can get him without giving up any players in the summer? 

The Clippers could be a Western Conference power in a few years if they keep their young players and develop them into stars. Star forward Blake Griffin is becoming a face of the league, Gordon is a quality scorer and Jordan is one of the most athletic big men in basketball and still has much room for improvement.

The Clippers also have Minnesota's first-round draft pick (not lottery protected), which could be a potential superstar due to the talent of this draft class. It would be insane for the Clippers to trade that pick, because let's face it, the Timberwolves are still going to be at the cellar in the West this season.

One of the chief reasons the Clippers should back out of this Paul fiasco immediately is because of the amount of quality assets the Hornets are seeking for their superstar. It's laughable how much talent they want for Paul.

Via ESPN.com:

"

Sources told ESPN.com that the Clippers balked when the Hornets, at the league's insistence, asked for the Clippers' top five trade pieces in exchange for Paul: Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Bledsoe and Minnesota's unprotected 2012 first-round draft pick.

"

I cannot believe New Orleans even asked for that much. What did they think the Clippers were going to say when asked to surrender that kind of talent?

I would not trade those four players and a coveted draft pick for nearly any player in the NBA. The only players I would give up those five assets for would be Kevin Durant and LeBron James.

Chris Paul is a great player, but there is no way he is worth four quality young players and a lottery pick which could turn out to be a superstar. Absolutely no way.

Let's look at the potential starting five for the Clippers two years from now without trading for Chris Paul. From point guard to center you have Eric Bledsoe, Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. That has the potential to be an elite starting five that could rival the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are the premier team in the Western Conference heading into the future.

The Clippers must not part with promising young talent for Chris Paul; doing so is simply not worth it.

They must not be bullied by the league into making this deal, who wouldn't even be in this predicament if commissioner David Stern hadn't stupidly nixed the first Paul deal that would have sent him to the Lakers.

The Clippers have too bright of a future to throw it away for a quick improvement by acquiring Paul, especially when it is uncertain if he will commit his long-term future to the team.

Nicholas Goss is an NBA Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report, follow him on Twitter.

Follow @NicholasGoss35