Reasons NO would trade CP3 1) Collison 2) They want to sell team 3) Cut Salary POR - NO Trade Miller, Pryz, and Rudy (ALL EXPIRING CONTRACTS) For Chris Paul Pipe Dream? Maybe, but closer now than ever....
Shinn has sold the team. The new owner is local, wants to improve attendance. Not interested in trading their most popular player. Also they would want talent back for CP3. Why trade CP3 to gain cap room when it would be hard to sign a FA that's as good as CP3?
We would have to give Roy for Paul and be tormented by Roy in the playoffs for years, but if Paul, Oden, and Bosh could form a good chemistry, it might not matter. Championships!
Getting Paul without giving up ANY long-term talent in return is a bit more than a pipe dream. My idea of a pipe dream is trading Aldridge and expirings for Paul and a bad contract. My idea of nice but unlikely is trading Roy and expirings for Paul and a bad contract.
They already sold the team to a billionaire from NO. http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2010/05/new_orleans_hornets_sale_agree.html
That's beyond terrible for N.O. If they wanted to save money, taking back just as much salary for Paul doesn't really do it, does it? Here's another trade where they save money. Paul to N.Y. for nothing. That one looks a lot better financially for them.
Bosh can take his pick of whatever under the cap team he likes, but it would benefit him financially to let Toronto work out a sign and trade with the team of his choice ... you really think Bosh would select Portland out of all the places he could play in the NBA? I sure as hell don't.
IMO, if there's any shot of getting CP3 it's Miller, LMA and Przy (with Euro goodies, draft picks and/or Rudy) for Paul and Okafor. Cuts down their amount of long-term debt, and a front line of West and LMA is still pretty decent with Miller starting until Collison's ready in 2011-12. They're getting rid of 25M of long-term debt a year for the next 5 years, and still have a) a competitive team and b) young talent locked up long-term.
In order for it to be another run, doesn't one run at him have to end? The fans on this board have pretty much been "making a run at Paul" since we drafted Webster.
Trade for Paul. PG: Paul/Miller SG: Roy/Bayless/Fernandez SF: Batum/Webster PF: Aldridge/Camby C: Oden/Camby/Przybilla Wait, did I miss a step? Well, no matter...that's a nice lineup!
