Chris Paul stays put.

[buzzy]

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/1365 ... with-paul/

Paul, in fact, has put into motion an aggressive exit strategy that will accelerate in the coming weeks, and his clear intention is to be traded before the start of the 2010-11 season, a person with direct knowledge of his plans told CBSSports.com Wednesday.

"He wants out," said the person, who has been briefed on Paul's strategy but spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss it publicly. "He wants to play with another superstar. He wants to follow LeBron's model of teaming up with other great players."

Paul's list of preferred destinations consists of the Knicks, Magic and Lakers, and members of his inner circle already have sent word to the Hornets of his desire to be traded to one of those teams, sources say. If Paul has his way, he's played his last game in a Hornets jersey.

[Dan's Brain]

Would love him to go to Orlando, and beat the snot out of Miami.

[NovU]

Not so sure, it'll be all that good for Orlando if he's going to cost Jameer Nelson's job which already has been working well. The Lakers also don't need to take any risks since what they have worked well last season. However, the NYK sounds like a place that could truly use him. It'd be great to pair him up with Amare. Interested to see if they will be as great as Nash/Amare combo.

Since Collison has proved to be a good player, I can see Chris Paul being moved sooner or later anyways.

[Lamrock]

Hornets would be trading Paul to dump bad contracts and because he wants out. If they are only trading Paul because they have a perfectly mediocre point guard in Darren Collison, then they are pathetic.

[hova-]

Please Mavs, make one at least one good move this century.

[Lamrock]

Even if Dallas somehow got CP3, I still think they would only be the 6th or 7th best team in the league...

There's rumors of the Blazers trying to get Paul. Don't buy it, but I don't really want him anyway. He's a top 5 player, but not the best fit next to Roy, and would probably cost us Batum. Its also hard enough dealing with Roy and Oden's knees. Now I could get behind a Chauncey Billups deal.

[Andrew]

Not so sure, it'll be all that good for Orlando if he's going to cost Jameer Nelson's job which already has been working well.

If I had to give up Jameer Nelson to get Chris Paul, I'd do it.

[hova-]

Even if Dallas somehow got CP3, I still think they would only be the 6th or 7th best team in the league...

There's rumors of the Blazers trying to get Paul. Don't buy it, but I don't really want him anyway. He's a top 5 player, but not the best fit next to Roy, and would probably cost us Batum. Its also hard enough dealing with Roy and Oden's knees. Now I could get behind a Chauncey Billups deal.

The major problem is that Kidd was still on the roster and I doubt he'd come off the bench. Other than that I think that the Dallas roster would be pretty good, if they deal away the right guys. (Stevenson, Barea, Butler)

Haywood/Chandler
Dirk
Marion
Terry/Beaubois
CP3/Kidd

[jonthefon]

Even if Dallas somehow got CP3, I still think they would only be the 6th or 7th best team in the league...

Laughable. I know you hate on the Mavs for their shitty pythag. record, but that's a crass statement. Best team in the league? Extremely doubtful, for sure. But with a healthy CP3 - who would be the best or second-best point guard in the league if that were so, he's probably elevating the Mavs at both ends. He would improve the team's perimeter defense by plenty, and he's undoubtedly going to be more efficient offensively than Caron Butler (likely going the other way) and the portion of Kidd's minutes he's bound to take. He'd get to throw alley-oops to Tyson Chandler. He's the legit second scorer necessary when Dirk is cold or getting double-teamed out of a game. Kidd's great, but he's nowhere near the amount which Paul brings to the table. Only two he's got is a better three-point shot, and a better rebounder. Passing-wise is close enough to be a wash, and Paul is probably a bigger threat in transition as well (I still get nightmares about him taking it coast-to-coast again and again in the 08 playoffs). I think the Mavs are absolutely 2nd or 3rd in the West, at worst, and are probably toe-to-toe with Orlando/Chicago (whoever's more up for it) night-in, night-out record-wise.

Which makes it a shame that the Mavs have about a 0.01% chance to get him. I think the offer of Roddy B, Caron, first rounders and possibly Barea for Paul, Posey/any other salary they want to dump will always be on the table until the trade deadline, unless Roddy suddenly becomes the second coming of...Tiny Archibald? I just really don't see the Hornets wanting to give him away, unless he absolutely polarizes everyone.

If the Magic somehow pull off enough to trade for him...holy shit . My mind boggles to think about that.

[Jackal]

The Lakers also don't need to take any risks since what they have worked well last season.

The "Heat'ism" is making you dumber. Obviously if you're in a position to get Chris Paul you don't give a shit about "worked well last season". Not to mention that shit doesn't even fly with the Laker team given they basically traded in an all right Ariza for a scizophrenic in Artest. Willing to take a risk? I'd say yes.

Not gonna get my hopes up or anything, I'm quite content with LA the way they are at the moment.

[yosifun]

If Orlando can get CP and keep VC I would be the happiest person in this off-season (along with Howard )

[NovU]

I don't know if it's "Heat'ism" but I think it has more to do with with your "Laker'ism". Don't expect to pull another Pau Gasol trade. Otherwise, giving up much for CP is inevitable.

[Lamrock]

jonthefon, I don't mean any offense. I certainly don't "hate" the Mavs. Dirk's one of my favorite players, and I was really rooting for you guys to get LeBron. Problem is, your roster isn't all that much better than the Hornets', especially when you'd have to subtract Butler, Kidd, Roddy Buckets and other expiring role players (probably Chandler).

Paul's supporting cast could be Dirk, a washed-up Marion, Haywood, an aging Terry and probably Okafor (who blows). Doesn't exactly scream "championship" or "better than the Lakers, Heat, Magic, Celtics or perhaps even healthy Blazers and Thunder"

[Martti.]

If he'd go to Orlando, what would be the package in return? Nelson, Pietrus, Bass, picks? I doubt the Hornets want Rashard's contract, though VC's expiring might interest them.

[Lamrock]

Probably Bass + Gortat + VCEC + Nelson + decade of draft picks for Paul and Okafor

[Jackal]

I don't know if it's "Heat'ism" but I think it has more to do with with your "Laker'ism".

What the fuck are you talking about you dumb bitch? What Lakerism? I just said your justification of "they wont want to ruin their nucleus" is kind of absurd given they just proved they don't mind experimenting with it by adding someone as volatile as Artest. I knew Wade fans were idiots, just didn't know you were as big as an idiot in the realm of the Diddies. But now I know, so I won't bother. Thanks for clearing it up.

[kibaxx7]

There's rumors of the Blazers trying to get Paul.

I know its RealGM, but... http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/67701/20100701/chris_paul_nearly_dealt_to_blazers_last_week/ Batum was getting traded, yeah.

[Lamrock]

Dodged a bullet there.

[Alpha_]

I guess he'll end up with NYK before the season starts..

[jonthefon]

Dodged a bullet there.

How many people would you have killed if an offer of Batum+Oden had been accepted ? Because I'm pretty sure that would've beaten the crap out of any other offer out there. Batum is really good.

I think you're underestimating the Mavs' depth. Kidd is not going to the Hornets in that trade, he'll probably do some off-the-ball hilarity as a drive-and-kick three-point shooter, who could deal with some SGs physically-wise and cover the rest of Paul's minutes at PG. They're certainly not great behind the starters, but no matter what, Jason Terry is still a useful scorer off the bench. If they keep JJ Barea, he'll do enough to not require Chris Paul or Jason Kidd to play all night (though nothing more). Dominique Jones has shown promise in Summer League, and he could be a serviceable combo guard backup (have to wait and see). SF would be pretty shallow in that deal, but if there's anyone still left, the Mavs can offer part of their full MLE still available to sign someone. James Posey could be coming back the other way though, so he'd spot Marion for time at SG/SF as a three-point shooter and perimeter defender. You're right, Chandler is probably going back to NO in that deal. But with Okafor, they'd be giving Dallas a ton of frontcourt depth to play alongside Dirk, and Ian Mahinmi, who I think would be reasonable in a limited role: Haywood/Okafor/Mahinmi would need to fill, what, 60 minutes? That's not a lot to ask for, to play Haywood for 30 at center, have Okafor take Dirk and Haywood's rest and have Mahinmi/Marion mop up. There's a help-defense rebounding/shot blocking front court which covers a lot of Dirk's matador defensive ways. And it's not like it's a battery of Jake Voskuhl, Primos Brezec and Jake Tsakalidis.

Those aren't prime awesome options, but they're not all that stricken. That's a deep team probably on par with Orlando.

[yosifun]

This is a long shot, but it actually works out: http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachi ... Id=283ndp8

[NovU]

I don't know if it's "Heat'ism" but I think it has more to do with with your "Laker'ism".

What the fuck are you talking about you dumb bitch? What Lakerism? I just said your justification of "they wont want to ruin their nucleus" is kind of absurd given they just proved they don't mind experimenting with it by adding someone as volatile as Artest. I knew Wade fans were idiots, just didn't know you were as big as an idiot in the realm of the Diddies. But now I know, so I won't bother. Thanks for clearing it up.

Ariza I thought were expandable. In fact, Artest was considered a definite upgrade anyways. Chris Paul obviously costs way more and should cost Lakers some great pieces from their current core, unless they pull another Pau Gasol trade.

[Martti.]

yosifun, the Hornets wouldn't want Rashard's contract, I'm pretty sure of it.

[air gordon]

perhaps even healthy Blazers

stop dreaming

not another 2yrs of wild, mass speculation of 2 more stars joining another!

[Andrew]

not another 2yrs of wild, mass speculation of 2 more stars joining another!

Seems inevitable, doesn't it?