Chris Paul was involved in trade rumors about two weeks ago with the Cleveland Cavaliers being a possible destination. Paul and LeBron James are good friends, and many teams believe that if they land Paul, James will be soon to follow. Apparently, this was a pretty good idea because now five other teams have been in the hunt for Paul. But does Paul want to leave? Sources close to the Hornets point guard have stated that he would like to remain in New Orleans if at all possible. Paul is excited for the new management that is to take over the Hornets organization, and he is hopeful that they will spend money in order to compete in a highly competitive Western Conference. Although it is unlikely that Paul will be moved before the Draft, there are several cases that the quality of the trade offers could be enough to make New Orleans pull the trigger and accept a trade offer.
The Memphis Grizzlies have reportedly offered shooting guard O.J. Mayo as part of a package deal in order to land Paul and bring him in to command the Grizzlies offense. Mike Conley would also probably be involved in this deal because the Grizzlies would no longer have a need for him at the point guard position. However, New Orleans has declined this offer, and Memphis is unlikely to make a counter offer with better players. If Memphis really wants to land Paul, their best option would be a sign and trade with Rudy Gay, Mayo, and Conley involved.
The Portland Trailblazers have also been interested in Paul for a number of years now. Although no offer has officially been made for the all star point guard, expect an offer to surface by Wednesday night if the Blazers are seriously considering Paul as an option for next year.
The Orlando Magic, much like the Trailblazers, have expressed interest in Paul but do not have a deal in place quite yet. After an embarrassing loss in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Magic are looking to upgrade their roster at almost every position. Jameer Nelson is not untouchable, and the Magic front office believe that in order to be successful, Orlando needs a point guard who can effectively distribute the ball as well as score. Nelson is more of a scorer, and he only averaged 5.6 assists last season. Paul is known as an assist man, and he would be an excellent running mate to Dwight Howard. Howard would flourish in an offense with a point guard like Paul because more often than not, the Magic do not look down low to the post as an offensive option. Howard is the best post player in the league, and he needs to be fed the pull at a constant pace. If Orlando were to land Paul, Nelson and either Rashard Lewis or Vince Carter would likely be involved.
The New York Knicks are also attempting to take Paul from the Hornets in order to land LeBron James. Although no offer is on the table yet, if the Knicks land Paul, LeBron and another top free agent would probably be soon to follow.
The last team expressing interest in Paul (so far) is the New Jersey Nets. They have made the best offer so far, too. The Nets have reportedly been willing to part with any player on their roster except for Brook Lopez. The offer included Devin Harris, another player to be named, and the third pick in this Thursday's draft. New Orleans declined the offer initially, but the Nets will likely make a counter offer in an attempt to bring in a free agent to run with Paul and Lopez this next season.
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