Is Chris Paul the trade KP is working on?

[Natebishop3]

This is already being talked about in the Hornets forum, but it's still very interesting.

The Grizzlies want to upgrade the point guard position and the newspaper reports that they have interest in the Hornets' Chris Paul and Darren Collison. All teams have been told that they must also take back either Peja Stojakovic (one year, $15.3 million), Emeka Okafor (four years, $48 million) or James Posey (two years, $13 million) if they want to acquire one of the point guards.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jun/18/grizzlies-draft-plans-a-mystery/

So we would have to take back Stojakovic and Okafor to get Paul. That's a LOT of money. If we moved Camby (9 million), Miller (7 million), and Przybilla (7 million), we would STILL need about 7 million to match those salaries.

 

[Miksaid]

I think you answered your own question.

No.

 

[STOMP]

Paul or not, I don't see why moving Peja would be a priority for them as he expires after this next season. Only a team like the Griz who could absorb his salary pronto (they could be well below the cap if they don't pick up various player options) without sending equal dollars back would allow the Hornets to take his $ off their cap in 2010/11. Is there another team with such a potentially low cap figure? Okafor is owed boatloads for sure, but the next guy they'd probably love to part with is James Posey. Dude was horrible last season and is owed 13.5M over the next two seasons.

their obvious positional needs are at SF and general quality depth. They hold pick #11 in the upcoming draft. Just to throw something out that would seem somewhat balanced involving Portland, howzabout... Rudy Martell and Pendergraph for Collison Posey and their pick?

STOMP

 

[handiman]

So we would have to take back Stojakovic and Okafor to get Paul.

The quote reads as one of the three being a requirement, not multiple.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Camby, Miller, Webster and Rudy for Paul and Okafor works money-wise. But would never happen, unless we were the Lakers and the Hornets' GM was Chris Wallace.

[While we're dreaming: throw in Joel and take back Posey. Oh, and throw in the rights to the Euros and it's actually not a bad deal. The Hornets would probably be better this year. Of course, they would've traded away CHRIS PAUL and thereby lost what little fan base they had...]

 

[Natebishop3]

The quote reads as one of the three being a requirement, not multiple.

For some reason I thought it was Stojakovic for sure, and then either Okafor or Posey. We could easily offer Miller/Przybilla/Webster or something like that. I don't see why they would want to move Peja... he's expiring.

If we could get Paul and Okafor, I would think KP would save his job. That's only roughly 23 million. We could do that pretty easily without completely butchering our roster. Miller and Przybilla would be around 14 million, and then we would have to figure out another nine million to match it up.

 

[axs88]

Miller and Przybilla would be around 14 million, and then we would have to figure out another nine million to match it up.

That's the hard part though (if you don't want to include Aldridge -- who doesn't make much sense for the Hornets if they are in the business of cutting salary). Martell makes less than 5m, Bayless around 2m, Rudy 1.x m... and that's it. Camby would make it work though, but then again why would the Hornets want him, he just got extended.

 

[e_blazer]

The salaries only have to match within 25% + $100K. That means $19.2 million on the Blazers' end would work. On the Hornet's end, Paul is BYC until July 1, which means if the deal were to be done before the draft they would only get to count 1/2 of Paul's salary while the Blazers would have to count all of it. If you wait until after July 1, then you're looking at amost $25.5M on the Blazers end, meaning that the outgoing contracts would have to add up to around $20.25M. Joel, Miller, Webster, & Rudy for Paul and Okafor looks to me like it would work from a cap standpoint. Whether it's realistic...who knows?

 

[Natebishop3]

The salaries only have to match within 25% + $100K. That means $19.2 million on the Blazers' end would work. On the Hornet's end, Paul is BYC until July 1, which means if the deal were to be done before the draft they would only get to count 1/2 of Paul's salary while the Blazers would have to count all of it. If you wait until after July 1, then you're looking at amost $25.5M on the Blazers end, meaning that the outgoing contracts would have to add up to around $20.25M. Joel, Miller, Webster, & Rudy for Paul and Okafor looks to me like it would work from a cap standpoint. Whether it's realistic...who knows?

I'd do it. Sure it cleans out our backcourt a bit, but we were thinking of moving Rudy anyway. We could use our MLE and draft pick on a couple of wings and be golden.

Paul/Bayless
Roy
Batum/Cunningham
Aldridge/Pendergraph
Oden/Okafor

 

[Ed O]

I'd do it. Sure it cleans out our backcourt a bit, but we were thinking of moving Rudy anyway. We could use our MLE and draft pick on a couple of wings and be golden.

Paul/Bayless
Roy
Batum/Cunningham
Aldridge/Pendergraph
Oden/Okafor

There is NO QUESTION you do that deal. Adding Paul and Okafor for that package would be ridiculous.

You also forgot to put Camby into our rotation, putting the 4/5 rotation as Aldridge/Oden/Camby/Okafor. Pretty awesome.

Nab Mike Miller for the full MLE and bring in a veteran PG for the minimum or bi-annual exception and the roster would be in fantastic shape.

Ed O.

 

[Blaze01]

The requirement for taking back unwanted contracts\salary is for Collison not Paul.....

Paul will not be traded, they would be fools to do so....

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I called this a while ago and it would take ZBOEC to get it done.

 

[Nikolokolus]

There is NO QUESTION you do that deal. Adding Paul and Okafor for that package would be ridiculous.

You also forgot to put Camby into our rotation, putting the 4/5 rotation as Aldridge/Oden/Camby/Okafor. Pretty awesome.

Nab Mike Miller for the full MLE and bring in a veteran PG for the minimum or bi-annual exception and the roster would be in fantastic shape.

Ed O.

That makes too much sense for it to actually happen (at least from the Blazers perspective). I'd fucking faint if it went down. As for the Hornets would they really get rid of Paul for so "little" I'd be flabbergasted ... so would Paul Allen, which would probably mean KP gets his reprieve.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Here's another question: would you part with Oden, Rudy, Joel and Miller for Okafor and Paul? That would be damn tempting.

 

[RoyToy]

Okafor's contract is an abomination.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Okafor's contract is an abomination.

And Chris Paul is a revelation.

 

[RoyToy]

Chris Paul isn't the only part of the deal.

 

[barfo]

Chris Paul isn't the only part of the deal.

He's the only part that matters.

barfo

 

[Nikolokolus]

Chris Paul isn't the only part of the deal.

Shit, when you have the opportunity to add a top 5 player (assuming there is even an opportunity here) you do almost whatever you have to get that kind of a player. If that means taking on a 12/10 level forward/center with a big contract and you don't have to blow up your roster to do it (or at least blow up the important bits) then you make the deal. If the Lakers have taught us anything, it's that stars matter and having a tier 1 player is a requirement if you're at all serious about a championship. Chris Paul is one of those players.

ps. I see almost no way that we get Paul.

 

[Ed O]

Chris Paul isn't the only part of the deal.

Great players win games. Terrible contracts don't lose them.

If you get a great player and a player with a terrible contract (who also happens to be a pretty good player, by the way) then I don't think the contract matters all that much.

Ed O.

 

[RoyToy]

ps. I see almost no way that we get Paul.

Exactly.

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

Okafor is not worth his contract, but hes not darius miles....the guy can still play....

do it in a heartbeat throw in first round picks for the next three years too

 

[Nikolokolus]

Okafor is not worth his contract, but hes not darius miles....the guy can still play....

do it in a heartbeat throw in first round picks for the next three years too

Exactly. And then we can just buy them back from New Orleans if we need them

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

Exactly. And then we can just buy them back from New Orleans if we need them

They would all be in the 28-30 range anyways haha

worthless

 

[Minstrel]

Okafor's contract is an abomination.

You're vastly overstating it. He's quite overpaid, but this is nothing like the Allen Houston or Eddy Curry contracts (or Jared Jeffries, or Theo Ratliff, etc), which were abominations. Okafor provides above average production and very good defense. He's actually a valuable player, even if he's not worth what he's paid. To get him and the best point guard of this generation for peanuts (from a talent perspective) is very, very worth eating the overpayment of Okafor.

If Pritchard could do this (and Allen would sign off on it) and he chose not to...I'd finally be in the "Pritchard needs to go" camp. Getting Paul and Okafor without giving up Roy, Oden or even Aldridge or Batum is as slam dunk as it gets. I'd even be willing to give up Aldridge to make it happen.

 

[RoyToy]

Too bad that trade isn't very realistic at all, which is part of my point. That trade only works if they're trying their absolute hardest to dump him, and then be crazy enough to do it. Not happening.

It would take something of value+big contracts from the Blazers to get Paul and Okafor's horrendous contract.

 

[Minstrel]

Too bad that trade isn't very realistic at all, which is part of my point. That trade only works if they're trying their absolute hardest to dump him, and then be crazy enough to do it. Not happening.

Probably not. In a dump mode, though, Okafor is definitely not a terrible price for Portland to pay.

It would take something of value+big contracts from the Blazers to get Paul and Okafor's horrendous contract.

I agree. And Portland doesn't have a lot that's valuable and cheap. Batum is about it, unless they like Bayless. Aldridge is the "major piece" I'm most willing to move and he makes little sense for New Orleans, not even being cheap.

 

[BGrantFan]

There is NO QUESTION you do that deal. Adding Paul and Okafor for that package would be ridiculous.

You also forgot to put Camby into our rotation, putting the 4/5 rotation as Aldridge/Oden/Camby/Okafor. Pretty awesome.

Nab Mike Miller for the full MLE and bring in a veteran PG for the minimum or bi-annual exception and the roster would be in fantastic shape.

Ed O.

Reddick instead of Miller and we're set for years.

 

[Further]

There is a chance that Paul is asking to be traded. That would greatly up the chances of this happening. from .01% all the way to 2%.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Chris Paul is definitely worth taking any bad contract back. This team has been in search of a real PG since Porter left.