Source: Chris Paul will not be a Hornet by the end of the weekend

[DontForgetDerekHarper]

I'd rather play Shumpert at #2 having Douglas #1 or Iman and Toney sharing time at #1 and Fields playing #2 (actually I'd love to see Ruatins getting some minutes at shooting guard, this guy was amazing in his college prime time, but he never really gets the chance in New York).

he never gets a chance in new york because he is slow, he cant create space to get a shot off, and cant come off screens due to his weakness to spot up. his handle was always limited even in college, which is why he would defer often at the pg position and play more of a screen and pop shooter. He is probably a solid practice player which all contenders need, but he is no where at the level of being a contributor on the pro level, I can name... 1 2 3 4 5 ? every starting point guard in the league, who would eat this man alive lol.

 

[DontForgetDerekHarper]

If Chris Paul wanted to play for the Knicks he would talk to the NO FO, tell them that he wants to play for no team other than the Knicks and protest a trade to Golden State. Even with Chris Paul the Warriors would be the New Jersey Nets of the Western Conference and miss the playoffs for the next few years.The only team that I wouldn't mind seeing Chris Paul go to are the Lakers because when you win as many championships as they have you deserve to have the best players in the league on your team.

I wonder if kobe bryant could ever manage to survive and lead a team with a true star pg

the trend of phil jacksons logic has always been to add a smart spot up shooting pg to go along side his ball dominating wing men.

Now mike brown is no triangle implementing coach; but I wouldnt find a title promised to the lakers if they gave up one of their bigs (the reason for their two recent titles) to add chris paul into the mix.

Would chris paul be able to defer to kobe in the fourth quarter ???

I dont know .

 

[KingCharles34]

In my opinion Kobe and CP3 would have no problems chemistry wise. At this point in Kobe's career, I dont think he'd mind playing off ball a little more with a great PG like Paul on his team.

The latest Chris Paul news is that the Warriors do not want to trade Stephen Curry without CP3's assurance that he will re-sign. The Warriors would trade Monta Ellis without Paul's assurance, but the Hornets want Curry. It is believed that the Warriors would look to deal Curry and Tyson Chandler for Dwight Howard later in the season.

The Clippers do not want to trade Eric Gordon.

The Lakers have Odom, Bynum, and Gasol to trade but I believe all 3 of them are overrated. Odom and Gasol played soft at the end of the season and in the playoffs. They didnt look like the same players they were the year before, I remember people saying that Marc Gasol looked like the better of the two brothers in the playoffs last year. I like Bynums game the best but hes been injury prone every year.

The Knicks might still have a chance...

*EDIT*

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/217108/Celtics_Present_Multiple_Three_Team_Trades_To_Hornets

The Celtics have delivered multiple three-team trade proposals to the Hornets in exchange for Chris Paul, according to sources.

The Hornets are said to prefer trade scenarios with the Warriors and Clippers, but Danny Ainge is attempting to find something acceptable to acquire Paul.

Rajon Rondo has been mentioned in trade scenarios involving the Celtics.

If the Celtics got him it wouldnt be the worst thing. Hold on, let me explain. I'd be almost 100% sure that he wouldnt resign with them, this is a desperate and foolish attempt at one last championship. I doubt it would be successful, as great as Paul is Kevin Garnett, Jermaine Oneal, Nenad Kristic, Glen Davis, Reggie Evans...or whoever the Celtics add wont make their front court good enough. They'll be a very tough team but I would pick Chicago and Miami over them still. The Celtics would be destroyed when CP3 walks away and signs with the Knicks. They would be basically the same team they were in the mid 90's. There best bet would be to keep Rondo unless they can get another good point guard that can actually hit a shot and will stay long term. For now they should build around Rondo and possibly Jeff Green as their future small forward.

 

[DaTPRiNCE]

^ for real King, i love how now the smeldicks are just now starting to realize that Rondo isnt that nice. at least not like advertised. his game has many flaws that just arent improving( jumpshot, freethrow shooting, offense ) and now they realize with the small 3 growing older they see he cant take this team in the direction they want to remain in his game just isnt that nice. as they grow older their reliance on Rondo will only grow and he's incapable of carrying the load. So now they wanna dump em when his value is fairly high, but teams arent stupid. i dont liek em dont think he's great just a good solid starting pg. nothing more. Mark my words Shumpert will be better than rondo.

 

[KingCharles34]

Its amazing how now Boston fans are finally admitting that CP3 >> Rondo along with Deron Williams and Derick Rose.

Rondo's poor shooting cost the Celtics the championship in 2010, when players guard him a certain way he actually hurts boston more then he helps them. Kobe was one of the first players to expose it, and (Jared Jeffries) is one of the best at it too. I also see Shumpert and Hill (if he comes here) doing a great job at this too.

 

[DaTPRiNCE]

seriously, i think shumpert and the defensive expertise he brings to our back-court is the remedy we could use to stop rondo, yes i said stop. cause as you meantioned when he's guarded by taller longer guards he struggles horribly and is a non factor. shumpert can do that he's more athletic, just as quick if not quicker and has the big body to make it difficult on rondo.

 

[CA7]

Paul wont commit to GSW or the Clippers meaning we have a shot, Boston has some 3 team trades in line but that would be a slap in the face to STAT and Melo and I doubt Stern lets him go LAL since he cant sign there outright like he can with us. We have a chance I cant wait til Friday

 

[KingCharles34]

I agree Datprince, we should be in good shape against the C's. I think we are equal to or greater then them unless they somehow manage to do real well in the free agency or make a good trade. Its going to be competitive most likely unless father time really catches up with them this year which i wouldnt rule out. Its already creepin up on them, they could even drop as low as 5th or 6th this year. Rondo is still a problem for most teams

 

[smokes]

If CP3 ends up on another team extending his contract, the Knicks should give a good offer to Deandre Jordan or decent offers to Tyson Chandler or Dalembert. Dwight Howard does not want to be in NY and Deron Williams wants to remain on the Nets. Maybe the Knicks can also try to persuade Marc Gasol to join the Knicks. If Lakers or Clippers get CP3, he will most likely extend his contract.

If CP3 is no longer available, Knicks must act fast.
Option on who to sign: PG and C
NOW
Marc Gasol
DeAndre Jordan
Tyson Chandler
Samuel Dalembert
J.J. Barea

Next Season
JaVale Mcgee
Steve Nash
resign Billups

Dude we do not have the money to offer any of those players a contract except maybe Barea. We have the MLE, that's it. Gasol/Jordan/Chandler and even Dalembert will be looking for more than that.

As for CP3 the Warriors trade without Curry is still a hell of a lot more enticing than anything we can offer, as is Rondo, as is DeAndre Jordan... Don't you guys realize these players are 10x more attractive than anything we have?!

Are we seriously gonna sit back and do nothing for an entire season in the blind hope that somehow CP3 decides not to extend but by some miracle he is willing to leave double digits of millions on the table to sign with us? We did that already in 2008-2010... We did it again in 2011 waiting for Melo... Do you really want to wait yet another year before we can even start to have our team building towards a being a cohesive unit together?

 

[mafra]

I find this whole CP3 thing fascinating. If only our owner didn't mess up the Melodrama last season, we might have enough (Gallo or Moz) to entice NO to send Chris Paul our way.

RED ROVER RED ROVER... Mr. Demps please send Paul over!

On one hand, I feel strongly that Stern wants to use Paul as the test case, to prove to the hardline small market owners that the era of players' demands is over. Trading Paul to a small market team and daring CP3 to leave 20 mil on the table to walk as a free agent next July.

On the other hand though, I feel that this isn't necessary b/c sign-n-trades & stuff is only allowed after this season and once more after the next. So, the point is mute. On top of that, Stern would be content knowing a big market (NY) becomes an elite team, and the NBA benefits b/c now there's 2 super powers in the Eastern Conference that can battle one another (MIA-NY).

ALSO, we have a former Knicks scout, with obvious ties to I-Thomas & Dolan. How is that relationship? How close? Being on the inside, does he value players like Fields & Douglas, more so than somebody on the outside?

IS it enough for Isiah to pick up the phone and tell his former protoge that Jerom Jordan, Tony Douglas, Landry Fields & C-Billups expiring contract (which could be flipped for something), plus a 2016 first round pick, and a 2nd rounder or two... This is good enough (compared to what else they can get from a team willing to rent Paul).

I honestly feel these are the 2 biggest factors that might prevent Paul from coming to NY:

1) Chris Paul has all the leverage here. Just like Anthony in DEN. Walsh played it perfectly, but then Dolan gave up the farm as the deadline neared, fearng the worst... Still, all Paul has to do is say "NO" to any & every team that makes an offer contigent on CP3 signing a long term extension. As long as Paul keeps saying no, the teams like GSW, LAC and what not will refuse to fork over legit talent for CP3's services. Without a long term commitment from Paul, no team is going to offer a package that will bow away what NY can offer (& given Demps has ties to NY, you would hope if all things are equal he'll look to reward his former employer).

2. Some team may swoop in and rent Paul. Maybe they just want to make a run at a title this year, or maybe they fell a gamble is worth it b/c they feel Paul might resign. If BOS deals Rondo we have no shot. LAKERS are a threat, but I'm not sure Demps wants to help out LAK, & I've even heard NO is not enamroed with LAK's bigs. Still, we have to assume that Bynum is more than what we have. DAL would rent Paul, but I can't see their package being better than ours. What's left? OKC going crazy & offering Westbrook? They're small market, they cannot afford that. SA just dealt Hill, so what could they offer? HOU? Imagine if Jordan Hill did it (LOL).

If you start running down the team, understanding that Paul plays his leverage, what package could be offered that dwarfs NY's? BOS & LAK have potential to go for it, but would they part w/ players like Rondo or Bynum? Other than that, what's left?

Let's also consider the difference here, that wasn't the case with DEN, CLE, TOR. This isn't personal. No owner is being offended that their golden goose, long time money maker, is abandoning them, leaving them naked at the altar. The NBA owns NO, and the GM just arrived. This is pure business, so there will be no going out of the way to stick it to paul, preventing him from getting what he wants.

I go back and forth. I was hopeful, than I was adamant we had no shot, but now I'm starting to believe.

Finally, if the NBA truly wants this out of the way by the time the season starts, to move beyond the constant reminder of what the landscape was like the last 2 years (Lebron & Carmelo), then time is on our side. Bluffs can only go so long. If other teams hesitate, then the door opens wide for us.

Given months, maybe LAC decide trading MIN's 1st rounder plus Jordan or Gordon is worth the risk, to rent Paul. Hope for the best. They've been bad for so long, don't they have to take a risk. BUt if they only have days, or a wekk or two, maybe they balk.

Who knows. I don't think it goes down this week, but I could see something happening within 2 weeks.

Again, it all depends on PAUL saying NO & for other teams to play it cheap when it comes to renting CP3.

Suddenly, Jerome Jordan - Tony Douglas - Landry Fields plus Billups doesn;t look as bad.

Knicks end up with:

Paul (Shumpert)
Hill (Rautins)
Anthony (Shawne Williams)
Amar'e (Jeffries, Shelden Williams)
Turiaf (Ajinca, Joorts)

Not the best bench... but that starting 5 is NASTY.