Bold prediction: CP3 will be traded by the deadline.

$35,654,150
$38,506,482
$41,358,814
$44,211,146

Good luck.

 

If CP is going to be traded it’s going to be back to LA, BOS, or maybe even NY.
BOS doesn’t look like they’re too fond of resigning Kyrie.
NY doesn’t have much to offer but if you want a shot at KD you need an established PG.
Lakers are interesting. Who can LA include to make the salaries work. Maybe a 3rd team will be involved.
BOS makes the most sense TBH. They have a young team with a really good backup PG that can help CP with minutes.
I’m sure Danny would consider any trade involving picks.
Anyways, I’d gladly take Kyrie for CP and fillers along with picks.

 

That would be a dream come true

 

I think it was Marc Stein on this week's Simmons pod who said that the Lakers know Cap Space is the second-best player at this moment. They aren't going to risk long-term cap space if they think Anthony Davis will sign with them outright this offseason.

The Knicks are also going all-in on a pitch for Durant. They won't jeopardize that either.

I honestly can't see many playoff teams wanting Paul at his age and his salary. Is he really an upgrade over Jrue Holiday in New Orleans considering those two factors? I don't think so.

He's persona non grata with the Clippers. Every other playoff team, except for East bottom-feeders like Orlando, has an established PG who, while not as good as CP3, is younger and makes less money.

Morey invented the poison pill contract with Lin and Asik. Who knew that Chris Paul would inflict his own type of poison pill on this franchise a few years later.

 

This is never going to come up in any trade talks. It also doesn't solve the problem of having Chris Paul's contract on this team.

 

as much as id love to get some bad ass deal for cp3. theres just no way its gonna happen. you know morey's spreadsheets all tell him that cp3 gives us the "best" probabilities to "win" a ship...

 

to think paul is negative value is crazy. he is really good, but the rockets suck

 

Prediction: No he won't be.

Aint nobody touching that contract.

 

It's funny how quickly the board changes popular opinion.

Harden for Giannis... lol, I was killed for suggesting that 12-18 months ago.

In any case, even though I'm as ardent a championship or bust guy on here, even I can appreciate the fact that damn they got close af last year and IF they had done it, it would have been as good a championship as I've seen because of the team they would have taken down, and the contract CP3 has now is just part of the bargain that was made, I guess.

Also, let's not look past the fact that this ISN'T classic Phoenix Suns MDA, or even Jeremy Lin exploding MDA offense. This is just very simple spread, PnR offense, and the only MDA part about it is the shoot a ton of threes. Point being... absolutely it worked last year and when you can get it to work, it can work great... but this isn't exactly THE offense that best suits CP3. I can envision CP3 still being better, even at his age, in an offense with more movement. Not GSW movement, but more movement. Even last year at its best, you never thought a ton "oh great, CP3 got the big switched on him, time to cook!" He came through as often as not with his own version of the step back or his own version of dribble dribble, but you always look at him out there and can see his brain thinking "oh wait, there's no actual 'play' to keep running and its just me to do some fancy dribbling?!?!?!"...

All that said... trading CP3. Here are some options:

* Suns: I think he'd be GREAT there, to be honest. Setting up Booker and Ayton, preaching defense, etc. Question is what you can get back? TJ Warren and Ariza and a future pick?

* Pelicans: Reasons already discussed. Holiday, Randle, Solomon Hill, 1st for CP3 and Tucker?? Don't really get better... do get younger and save $10 million next year...

* Wizards: I think they'd happily swap Wall for CP3... but do we really want that? If there was a three team deal where Wall goes somewhere, CP3 goes there, we get somebody else. Of course, Beal would be a better get.

* Brooklyn: Really hard to see, but as a straight salary dump, maybe. Like Carroll, Faried, Dudley...all expiring. Hard to see both teams doing this.

* SAS: Another hard to see... but why not? Pops would probably appreciate CP3 and maximize him. But again... for what? Mills, Bellineli, Gasol and their unprotected 2019 first?

* Orlando: This might be an under the radar opportunity. Mozgov makes $16 million so you can build salary. Mozgov, Ross, Simmons, unprotected 2019 first rounder. Of course the Magic do this IF they think they have a shot at the playoffs this year.... and the goal for the Rockets would be them missing the playoffs. They're currently in 7th in the East. Still a high teens first rounder is better than nothing.

* Detroit: Hard to see them making a move at this point as they sit at 4th in the East. But if they slip out of the playoff race come deadline time, they might be open to something like CP3, Eric Gordon, PJ Tucker for Blake Griffin, Reggie Jackson, Jon Leuer ... big shakeup, but would be interesting at least.

* Bucks: Another one out of left field. Obviously the Bucks are doing well. But Bledsoe is a FA and really not that great. If they wanted to go more "all-in", would they entertain Bledsoe, Henson (injured), Maker, unprotected 2019 first for CP3. From their perspective they upgrade their starting PG by giving up an injured guy and a guy that never reached his potential and a very late first. It's not a lot of return for Houston, but you get two athletic bigs for next year, a pick, and salary cap relief when Bledsoe expires.

If the above doesn't excite you, adjust expectations. PG is a stacked position in the NBA. CP3 is old and getting paid a ton.

 

Maybe we could trade him into the Lakers cap space next summer if the Lakers strike out on free agents not wanting to play with Diva LeBron. Plus, that gives CP3 the rest for the year to try to work it out here and "run it back." The P.R. hit for trading him next summer to a favorable destination will be a whole lot less than trading him in season to a place like Detroit.

 

I like those guys (W.Johnson is useless but whatever), but i just don't see it as an option cause i don't think we'll trade Paul unless he asks for that, and especially to a team he doesn't want to play for, i can see him being ok with a trade to L.A but i don't know if the Lakers would've have interest in him at this point, you have to hope Lebron has interest and that he has the power to force that move.

 

The 2017 draft pick that the Clippers acquired in the CP3 trade was an underrated part of the trade. The pick was low but it was key in allowing the Clippers to package it with Jamal Crawford's corpse (who the Hawks immediately waived) to acquire Danilo Gallinari in a sign and trade with the Hawks and the Denver Nuggets. Danilo looks like an NBA player again now that he put down the pasta and got himself in shape.

So in hindsight the CP3 trade landed the Clippers four rotation players to their 2018 roster in:

Pat Beverly
Lou Williams
Trez Harell
Danilo Gallinari

That's a pretty good haul...

 

I think the above is still FAR more than what the Rockets can hope to get for Paul. Every other team sees what you all are seeing with Paul. The drop in his play, the more frequent injuries, etc. And then you’re expecting them to give value for a dude making 40 million dollars a year for 3 years AFTER this season. It’s not going to happen.

 

Don't get me wrong, i agree with this, but maybe it's easier to say this for us...i mean, moving a guy like Chris Paul against his will just after you resigned him, eh...

 

Which can't happen, since AD is under contract for two more years with the Pels. The last of those two is a player option, so the soonest he can CHOOSE to leave would be summer of 2020.

 

Yeah but i'm not sure Chris Paul is comparable to those guys in terms of status etc...i mean, i'm not saying he's untouchable or anything, just that maybe it might not be as easy as we think to just just trade him where/when we want.

 

I stand corrected! I still don't see how Paul would be an upgrade, at his age and salary, over Jrue Holiday. The Pelicans are stuck in the same unfortunate position as 13 other Western Conference franchises: they are stuck competing against an all-time juggernaut with no comparison. Hell, nobody but the Warriors may even have a "window" this year in the West.

If KD leaves Golden State this offseason, maybe the Pelicans make an all-in move like Morey did last year. Trading Davis away for a Kawhi-like haul could very well kill basketball in New Orleans. They already struggle to sell tickets and giving away one of the best players in the league for peanuts would set them back even further. The best card they have to play is the super max.