Assuming Shinn is only concerned with the bottom line, he fired Scott to see if a quick turnaround can be achieved. Winning a few more games would bring more ticket sales and improve his bottom line. How would trading CP3 improve Shinn's bottom line? Well he's losing lots of money every year and CP3's presence doesn't seem make a difference. Shinn figures that the only way he can make a profit or break even is pull a Michael Heisley: get below the cap, collect the luxury tax, facilitate trades for other teams and get that 3 mil on each trade. Shinn's problem is that he's got too many bad contracts to get below the tax, the only way to get rid of those bad contracts is to attach his only asset: CP3.
Because they can package away Peja and Okafor in a deal with Paul as the carrot. 37M this year and it only gets worse the next 3 years if they intend on keeping Paul. This Hornets team isn't going to amount to anything this year and based on their salary situation will not do anything for the next three unless they gut it out right. Plus, as others have stated, there is no reason at all for Paul to stay once he becomes a free agent in 2012. The Hornets are losing money with him--they stand to actually gain money if they dump him along with their other two worst contracts. And for whoever said T-Mac+Brooks is worse than the entire Nets team; 1. New Jersey would never trade Harris and Lopez both, they would basically be swapping their team with New Orleans' only crappier and even more cash-strapped, and 2. don't forget to add Landry and Budinger as per my proposal. That's 3 cheap young guys with pretty good potential putting up inflated numbers this year on a Rockets team with no go-to star. I also don't think OKC does that trade seeing as it would not address their biggest need (talent on the front court) at all and at this point there's no telling how high Westbrook's ceiling is. And on top of all that, Brooks+Landry+Budinger will be putting up better numbers this year. Morey has been saying all along that the trade is going to be the most likely way that this team acquires the superstar it needs to pair up with Yao. I think the way he's been managing our personnel has been particularly driven towards that end, and although he will never say it, Chris Paul has got to be at the top of Morey's wish-list right above Bosh and Amare. We would definitely sacrifice a considerable chunk of our depth to get Paul, but I doubt any other scrub team would--teams like New Jersey OKC or GSW are missing so many pieces that just getting one more won't help them much. It's kinda like in fantasy baseball or basketball or football or whatever. If you're good, you try to make trades that concentrate your talent (2-for-1 or 3-for-2) but if you're bad you try to dilute it (1-for-2 or 2-for-3). In much the same way, you never see scrub teams as buyers in midseason. That applies for every sport.
If that's the case, I can guarantee you CP3 is worth a lot more on the market than salary shaving and AB.
New Orleans isn't winning this year or the next, so for them having a way for them to dump salary is actually more valuable than taking back an all-star or two. Sure draft picks are nice. But money talks, this year more than ever. In fact, a cheap, high scoring guy like Brooks who's under contract for two more years at <2M per is probably more desirable to them than Monta Ellis who is due $55M over the next five years assuming he picks up the final option on his last year. Before they signed Baron Davis, they Clippers got by for years without any name-recognition stars. And by got by I mean they made their owner cash--they were an awful team as any of us can attest, but as is the case with the present-day Clipps, it's one thing to lose but it's another to lose with a payroll pushing the luxury tax.
Under the dumping CP3 logic, NOLA will want salary shaving and high picks. I don't think they don't really care about getting AB much.
But no team with a high pick to trade away would be willing to take on 26M or (depending on whether or not Okafor is included) 37M per year. The Rockets can give up any manner of picks no problemo, and I remain skeptical as to how much New Orleans can actually get for him from any other team. I didn't wanna pull it out but "Given This Economic Climate" yada yada yada. Bottom line is, well, the bottom line.
Looks like NO made it worse on themselves. Now CP3 and D West are unhappy with not being informed of the decision. Read more: http://hoopshype.com/rumors.htm
Hornets will do everything BUT give up CP3. It's just completely illogical. They might trade away their veterans, but CP3 will stay in the Hornets till his contract expires.
I know this is a rockets board so getting paul for basically nothing. If I were the hornets gm, here are the teams I would target, portland and gsw. Its a know fact that Portland wants another vet at the wing. Outlaw for his production is availible and is a free agent at the end of the yr. Posey fits the description of a vet with coming championship pedigree. He's still a very good defender, will take and make the big shot and does a lot of little things. This would allow them to start webster as they have done and work rudy into it also. Posey gives them playoff ruggedness and toughness as displayed by his past playoff performaces. The other team is GSW. They're trying to get rid of jackson and maybe even maggette or azuibuike. Peja and wright for jackson and maggette or azuibuike. Both deals make sense for gsw and new orleans. Jackson could take paul off the ball some and give the a guy that can create for himself. Maggette or kelenna gives them a another legit scorer that doesn't need paul to get them a shot. All 3 are athletic, can finish and would play well off paul. Does this make them a contender? Don't know, but rolling out a lineup of paul,jackson,maggette,west,and okafor is pretty good and balanced. Off the bench some of those younger guys can fill it. Their problem is too many of those guys need paul to get them a shot and it wears him down.
the opposite is true. NO still has to pay Scott's full salary + it will also pay the salary of the new coach. this move has the effect of increasing overhead cost. this is the second time that Scott has lost control of a play-off caliber team, with the best player on the team leading the effort to fire him---Kidd in NJ and CP3 in NO. this doesn't speak well for his leadership ability.
So if NOLA can't get what they want,they are probably not desperate to trade away CP3, who is the guarantee of box office. Also, the magnitude of a CP3 trade will probably require a 3 way or more trade, IMO.
That one was on Jason "coach-killer" Kidd, and it wasn't the first time he did this. He refused to listen to Scott's coaching instruction and worked to undermine him in the locker-room and the media. Scott is a good coach, but realistically NO wasn't going anywhere under him. The NBA is getting top-heavy, and all the middling teams are fast becoming irrelevant.
That's exactly why the GM once assistant, Bower is going to be the new head coach. And if you read the article posted, the 2 leaders of the team were upset that this was going on behind closed doors without being aware of the move. Chris Paul had nothing to do with Scott's firing.
Scott took a CP3 team deep into the playoff; and his team gave the Lakers fits. pps. CP3 was behind the firing.
I'll admit that my proposals might be a little Rocket-sided, but then they should be. But that doesn't mean Portland is going to trade Travis Outlaw (plus filler) for James Posey. Is Posey an upgrade over Outlaw? No, even with some playoff experience. Is Posey a better contract than Outlaw. Hell no. Of course the Hornets would do that if they could, but there's no way that would happen. This is better, but still doesn't make much sense. First, Peja and Wright for Jackson and Azuibuike, which the Hornets would certainly prefer, doesn't make much sense because it doesn't work under the salary cap. Peja and Wright for Jackson and Magette does work...and shoudl definitely make New Orleans better. But there still are some serious salary implications to the Hornets. Jackson/Maggette both get paid for 3 more years at $9+ million plus a season. The Hornets, imo, are still stuck as a team that is first round fodder at best, with no salary cap room (and in fact, likely to be paying luxury tax). Moreover, I don't see it as a great deal for GS either. They do get rid of two horrible contracts, but are getting back considerably worse talent that is also in the form of contracts they don't expire until the end of next off-season. Certainly a salary cap improvement, but not a no-brainer for them.
On the Portland side of thigns. If Roy can't handle playing with Andre Miller because he loses touches how would he handle playing with Chris Paul? I understand Paul is way better but Roy loves to have the ball in his hand. I guess he would adjust to it but I don't see it happening.
