Despite a scheduled meeting set for Monday with New Orleans Hornets officials that will include new general manager Dell Demps and coach Monty Williams, Chris Paul’s agent, Leon Rose, continues to move forward with their exit strategy. A source close to Paul said he has not told the Hornets formally yet to trade him, but he plans to inform them during Monday’s meeting that he would be willing to play elsewhere if they are unable to accommodate his wishes to improve the roster. But Rose continues to gauge interest from various teams that could seek to obtain Paul in a trade, according to league sources. Despite internet reports, sources in Paul’s camp said it has not reached the point of declaring frontrunners, but he would welcome a trade to either the Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks or New York Knicks if the Hornets are not serious about winning. The latest internet speculation now has James recommending to Paul to stay in the Western Conference to make a better rivalry with the Miami Heat, where James and Chris Bosh joined Dwayne Wade as free agents. http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2010/07/chris_pauls_agent_leon_rose_co.html add these to **we have a great combo of ECs (andre, joel), short-term/low cost/young talent (rudy, jerryd, nic etc) maybe future drafts, euro prospect rights, xtra $$ from PA personally Roy/GO are the only two i'd wanna keep **Cho-WWW connection (Adrian Woj story on Yahoo) **Larry Miller's relationship w/CP3 - not just business (Nike), personal too (accdg Canzano) **Monty Williams - Blazer players familiarity **Nate Mcmillan - CP3 redeam team more importantly. . . **the way our team would look + CP3 - whoever we traded compared to NY, Dal, ORL, NOH CP3 Roy 3 LA Oden CP3 Roy Batum 4 Oden etc your thoughts?? where's the rally gunna be?? LoL
It all comes down to how well they can present their case to CP3. I just don't see how they could possibly tell him anything that makes sense, I mean they have ZERO assets except for CP3 and that is the problem.
Wow, I am pumped now. We actually have a legit shot at getting CP3. It's like a dream come true. No, it's actually better.
"It's sorta like a dream." "No. Better." [video=youtube;9GUa-8y1HSQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GUa-8y1HSQ[/video]
Also, Dwight/CP3 combo would be good but with the Heat next-door, they'd face tougher competition in the next 5+ years. While the CP3/Roy/LA/Oden lineup would be playing against kobe in the west finals until kobe is expired, then the blazers can take over. Since we already logged all of our injuries for at least the next 5 years last season, we can enjoy a team that's injury-free for a long time now. Law of averages baby =)
The Lakers can play championship caliber defense when they want to. Remains to be seen if the Heat will be able to stop any good team, let alone the Magic with Paul.
What a joke. The only reason James wants Paul to switch to a powerhouse team in the West is so James won't look like the only guy who abandoned his team to chase a ring. If James actually wanted a "rivalry" with some other team, he wouldn't have made sure that he was joining two other superstars on a stacked team. The only thing James really wants is a championship (and, secondarily, to somehow salvage his own reputation).
I don't think that David Stern would allow the balance of NBA power to shift that far to the East, and much less to Florida.
Also the Paul Allen as a James Bond villain meme is well established. Also people WILL watch a fun to watch Portland team as proven by WCF 2000 ratings which were the best since Jordan.
The inmates are officially running the asylum now. If the players are now dictating where each other will play, the NBA has sunk to a new low.
I like your Avatar. The next banner I want on the grain silo across from the RG is a pic of Roy and CP3 with LA and GO in the back. lol, reality sucks
I think that the players are simply embracing a power that they had with free agency all along, it's just that the owners kept convincing them that they didn't have it. I'm sure the union isn't thrilled that a small number of "superstar" players seem to be forgoeing money (which, admittedly they don't need given the outrageous numbers involved with the highest level contracts) for the opportunity to play with their friends. The "collusion" argument falls flat. These players could play for the minimum if they wanted to, right? No one has to shove money in their hands. There's no enforced "tier" system based upon on-court ability and performance. Besides, the real money for a lot of these types of players is in endorsements, not their team salary, right? Is this all good for the game? Tough to say. I'm leaning towards not, but that's because I enjoy a competitive league (which I am consistantly dissappointed in during the Stern reign, but that's another topic). I'm willing to accept that the NBA may become a league of 4-6 Harlem Globetrotters and 25 Washington Generals, as long as the Blazers are one of the former and not the latter.
It's all well and good to dream, but I won't believe any of this crap until the trade call is finalized.
Collison is a nice asset to try and move for an upgrade somewhere. But yeah, for the most part there assets are weak.
Good call. They're actually Swedish, but if Air France weren't the one-time nickname of Pietrus, it would be a cool one for Batum.
i think it's a much better situation for paul (if he's about winning) to join roy/oden in the west than howard in the east. the lakers are tested and proven but that holds until kobe declines, which would be sooner than wade/lebron/bosh. . the chances/frequency of the blazers w/paul playing in the NBA finals > magic w/paul in the next 5+ years. the unhealthy, pre-paul blazers gives the lakers competitive basketball. kobe aint getting any younger. so as duncan. and dirk/kidd. and nash. billups too. boozer/amare went to the east. so really when we look at the next 5+ years paul/roy/oden = blazers in the NBA finals multiple times you may disagree w/me itz ok. coz i'm optimistic about injuries and such. . d howard is a beast and more importantly healthy
