Hornets Exec: "No Deals for Paul"

They haven't lost any leverage...

 

What is being said publicly is likely different between what is being stated privately.

As for Paul's deal, it's a one year deal. There's going to be a lockout in 2011 that is going to cost next season. No deals can be done during the lockout. Even if they play part of the season, the trade deadline will likely have passed and he won't be able to be moved before he can opt out.

 

I think this is what's going on. Contrary to all the people talking about contracts etc. the fact is Paul has more leverage with every passing day. The risk of him getting an injury or their bargaining position with other teams eroding, only increases the further through time you move. The smart move is to take Paul in and try and get him to present a unified front with them, but a small leak to show availability perhaps with the message that the hornets aren't impressed with any offers so far.

Trading Collison to get a piece would be a huge mistake and would limit them in the absolutely certain post-CP3 era in 2012-13. The longer they wait the more risk to the Hornets even waiting until mid-season reduces their possibilities due to potential lock out 2011/12 and also many teams like Portland may move their good young pieces for veterans locking in potential trading partners to other scenarios. IF NOH is smart they get him in there to present a united front and leak that they want better offers from the whole league.

They may very well mess this up, but looking at it from NOH's perspective other then ticket sales ($3 million from a trade more then makes up for that as does salary relief) there is no reason not to trade him now. I can't think of one good reason.

 

People like us per Wendell Maxey are low balling them. They lose more leverage every day going forward. Now if they got him to re-sign well sure they'd have all the leverage in the world. As time goes on in this new player driven era CP3's position gets stronger and theirs and the possible return from a trade only weakens.

 

Another KEY possibility thank you Maxiep.

 

Is that your opinion, or do you actually trust said sources (Especially from Wendell Maxey, seriously..)? The Hornets aren't forced to trade him, he's got two years on his contract. That's why I thought this whole thing was stupid to begin with.

 

The problem with this is CP3 doesn't want to gut any team he is going to. There isn't any reason to go to another team that is gutted and not any better then staying with NO and waiting until he is a FA.

 

Yes, it is in fact my opinion and blad faced speculation gleaned from nuggets on the internets...you know like every freaking post on this forum that isn't a stats based argument.

Well they can sit on him and make a mistake of course and not from my point of view as a Blazers fan, but by looking at it from their potential options. I mean what nets them the most value for CP3 at what point in time you tell me?

 

They aren't forced to trade him. What nets them the most value? Keeping him and trying to win.

 

No, it's a two year deal. (a) IF there IS a lockout, it's unlikely to cost the entire season, but (b) if it DID, you can bet your ass management would not agree to a deal that would let assets like Paul walk away without compensation.

 

So you think all the "leaks" are lies? What does he have to gain from them or are you saying it's just a bored media? Also you could gut Orlando say and still improve it by keeping D Ho and adding CP3. Also you could go to Portland or Dallas and keep the key pieces without gutting the team. The only proposed team he would "gut" is NYK.

 

Exactly. And the fact that they've brought in new management and a new coach means that they're already "making an effort."
Who's going to pay the same for the Hornets without Paul as they would with Paul? Nobody. Paul is the ONLY reason ANYONE in NO cares about the Hornets.

 

No, I'm saying CP3 doesn't care if NO gets a fair deal because he wouldn't want to go to Portland, Orl or anywhere that trades to much and leaves him with no chance of winning.

 

OK so, pray tell show me how they do that. I don't think they can attain the heights of 2008, let alone get past a now two time champion LAL or Portland or Dallas and especially not whatever beast team emerges from the East.

I'm telling you guys the best value for NOH can be gotten now and the longer they wait the more their options and leverage decrease. The more time goes on the weaker the offers will be as CP3 will threaten to walk. Look at Toronto and Bosh or worse yet CLE as your examples.

By the way Rasta, Maxiep meant it's in essence a one year deal if year two is locked out with no trades allowed. That is a distinct possibility and only adds to my argument.

Let me give you another reason NOH better be thinking about (and us for that matter) CP3 isn't exactly Dwight Howard or LeBron when it comes to games played per season. Another knee injury would really hurt his value and another season of him carrying the team makes that more likely. Again he's healthy now, they can pretend they don't want to trade him (this is already happening), many teams have salary cap and pieces right now after summer of LeBron. The time to deal with max value and minimum risk of lower value is now.

 

What "leaks"? The ones that say Paul wants to be traded? No, they're probably true. So what? If you mean the ones that said Jeff Bower got fired for admitting that Paul was on the block, well, the fact that there were totally conflicting "leaks" "explaining" his firing (he was fired for admitting that ownership believed it vs. he was fired for trying to trade Paul against ownership's wishes (plus he was fired because he no longer got on with Paul)) kind of undermines either side's credibility.

 

I know what he means. Read my post.

 

The bolded leaks are what I meant. An unhappy Paul encourages other teams to low ball NOH who only gets MORE desperate over time.

 

Yes, let's look at them. For one thing, we have no idea what they were offered. Maybe they, like the Hornets, were offered shit. Maybe they didn't like the cost of what they were offered by capped-out teams (which any contender is likely to be). Look at it this way:
The only reason for the Hornets to trade Chris Paul is if they don't care that they're going to suck. Who doesn't care if they suck? A team that only cares about money. But a team who only cares about money is MORE LIKELY to keep Paul, (a) because nobody will go to the games if they get rid of him, and (b) they get a huge chunk of cap space if he walks.

Look at the Cavs: actually, the whole city of Cleveland is rallying round the Cavs because James walked. They've got a hell of a lot more goodwill than if they traded him.

 

Not if they're prepared to let him walk. And even if he becomes a UFA, they can still count on signing-and-trading, and if they want to win, they'll have a huge trade exception that they can use to poach value off other teams.

The time when they were going to get value for him has either passed already, because of all these "leaks", or is actually in the future, as teams that WON'T have cap space try to beat out teams who can compete for him when he becomes a UFA by trading before he gets there.

 

This is the type of thinking I don't agree with, and I don't think any team in the league should either. Why doom yourself before you even get a chance to play? Makes no sense to me.

Actually, pigeonholing the potential scenarios into one option would be less advisable. If management thinks they have to trade him now, their probably not going to get the best deal.

Every team would have injury concerns for Paul, but that shouldn't stop New Orleans from keeping the best point guard in the league.