LeBron James opted not to take his talent to 33rd and 7th, but Donnie Walsh may have an opportunity to add another all-star to the Knicks roster after all. Hornets guard Chris Paul is reportedly trying to force a trade, and the Knicks are one of his preferred destinations.
In many ways, Paul’s status in New Orleans mirrors the last years of the LeBron era in Cleveland. The Hornets would love to build a real contender around CP3 – but their attempts-to-date have saddled the team with ineffective veterans, bad contracts, and minimal flexibility under the salary cap. The team has to convince Paul they can build a title contender around him or risk losing him as a free agent in the summer of 2012.
The Cavaliers spent millions and crippled their salary cap flexibility bringing in players like Shaquille O’Neal and Antawn Jamison… and LeBron took his talent to South Beach anyway. With Chris Paul already talking about creating his own “big three” in New York, Hornets general manager Dell Demps may decide the long-term health of the franchise would be better served by dealing Paul now – possibly using the deal to rid his payroll of another unattractive contract. The fact that he has a replacement point guard on the roster – Darren Collison had an excellent run as the starter when Paul missed time due to injury last season – might only cement the decision.
Do the Knicks have the assets to make a deal? Possibly.
Full article: Chris Paul Hoping to Force a Trade? – Charlie Zegers – MSG.com.
