Would it be worth our time to pick up Emeka Okafor? I know that we have Brad, but he is a big man that is an excellent rebounder and shot blocker, much better than Brad Miller! Maybe all he needs to increase his offense is to have him in Houston and to get some work in with Newell and Olajuwon.
Chris Paul / Lowry Kevin Martin / Taylor Trevor Ariza / Battier Luis Scola / Patterson Yao Ming / Okafor That's a championship contender
Emeka Okafor is a bad contract. He is the cost to have Paul not a prize. Anyone would waste their time to pick up Emeka Okafor, but if they want to have Paul, they have to pick up him and his contract.
Emeka gives us a backup PF/C who is good at defense and a shotblocker. While his contract is huge, you gotta take the bad with the good sometimes.
Do you even read? The main purpose is to not waste DMs efforts in getting 2 first round picks from NYK. They can get CP3, they can just absorb contracts. Then those two potential lottery picks turn into garbage 20-something picks. I would gladly take on Okafor to secure two lottery picks and a late round 1st. Again, we do this trade, we pretty much traded TMac and Landry for Kevin Martin, Emeka Okafor, two lottery picks from NYK, a first rounder from Orlando and a very strong opportunity for Granger. If we dont do this, we traded TMac and Landry for Kevin Martin, Jordan Hill and 2 late 1st rounders. Its more to do with helping ourselves get better assets than it is to help Orlando in any way.
No way we could get both those players without having to give up Battier and/or Ariza. Try ESPN's trade machine. Salaries should match since we're already way above our cap.
BULL. The addition o Okafor doesn't turn us into a better team PERIOD. You ruin our Cap Space for years all for trying to stop another team from getting a higher pick and a player (Granger) that you don't even know I he's on the market? WTF. Even a team with Okafor and Granger isn't a sure cotender and we'll have a top 5 payroll for NOTHING. If you think Paul will just ruin his FA value by not playing well if he gets traded here you don't understand anything about NBA players.
Explain how NY can just absorb the contracts of Paul and Okafor. For that matter just explain how they could even absorb only Paul's contract? How much cap space do you think that the Knicks have remaining after signing Amare, Felton and the Russian center? I believe that they have just over $3m in capspace still available. That's not much help in acquiring Chris Paul, let alone both Okafor and Paul. Paul and Okafor make almost $28M between them. NY Would have to send NO back at least $21M in return. They can cover $3M of that with their cap space but they'll still have to send back $18M in contracts. So if you are the Hornets what $18M in contracts do you want from the Knicks. Also remember that Amare, Randolph, Felton, Azubuike and Turiaf aren't eligible to be traded. That leaves Curry ($11.2M) , Chandler ($2.1M) ,Douglas ($1M) , Gallinari ($3.3M) and Bill Walker ($875K) . All of those guys combined barely make $18M. Does that sound like an attractive package to NO? NY also doesn' t have any draft picks to trade. I'm just not seeing how NY is a viable destination for Paul. It doesn't do anything for NO so why do they do a deal like that? Maybe they wait until Randoph and Felton can be traded but really are those guys difference makers to NO?
Like we even have a center that rebounds and block shots better than Emeka. Anyway... I see 3 teams having a legit chance of landing CP3... Dallas - a package starting with Caron Butler and Roddy Beaubois Portland - a package that starts with Andre Miller and Nicolas Batum Houston - Where do i start? Name it.. We have exipiring contracts, young promising talents and draft picks in Brooks, Battier, Jeffries, Hill etc. While everyone would say the Knicks and Magic have the best chances, i beg to differ. NY doesn't have any assets period. While the Magic don't have expiring contracts nor draft picks.
I could be wrong. But I think as long as you're under the cap (even just $1 under) you can absorb as much salary as you want. No?
Errr, take that back. Under the cap only means you don't have to send equal value back. But you still have to have enough cap space to absorb the incoming salary. Otherwise Knicks & Heat wouldn't have had to go through all the trouble to clear space for multiple max contracts. Silly me...
Unlike Bosh who had already made up his mind from the beginning of the offseason, I believe Paul would really listen to every team that is willing to trade for him, including the rockets. He knows were a possible contender and with him we will be a true contender.
That's BSPN. How many times have I heard today "So should Chris Paul go to Orlando or New York?" like those are the only two teams that even have a shot. It's the same as ESPN talking about Lebron to New York after all these years, they want their New York team to be relevant so bad. I really don't care if he goes to Dallas, I feel like it'd be New Orleans all over again since they will give up their depth for Paul (Butler, Roddy B, whoever else) With the Rockets we can give up Brooks and still have Lowry, we can give up Battier and still have Ariza and Martin and Chase. We could give up Hill and still have Patterson.
We all know the Hornets are in serious financial trouble and are looking for two things in trading Paul away. #1 They are looking for low end salary guys with quality upside or HIGH quality draft picks. The Rockets have both in the NYK picks and a Jordan Hill type guy or even Patterson. #2 They are looking for expiring contracts so they have flexibility to build around the young talent they acquire and draft once they become more stable. The Rockets have expiring guys in Jeffries,Battier, and Andersen. The only way they would consider taking back a Kevin Martin salary would be if Okafor or Posey were moved with Paul. Just my thoughts. I would not rule out Houston in a Paul deal, but Rockets would need to deal either Brooks or Lowry somewhere as 3 pg's doesn't work. Hornets clearly want Collison as PG but might take Brooks since he only makes $2M with a $3M qualify offer next year. NYK can't offer up draft picks because we have them. If they target quality picks then Houston has best to offer out of Hou,NYK, or Orl. If they want expiring contracts then Houston can match or best those teams.
Paul would listen? Unlike Bosh, Paul is NOT a free agent. He is under contract for 2 more years. It's not his decision which offer to accept, it's New Orleans'. So let's say we had CP3 under contract for 2 more years and demands a trade, do you honestly think Daryl Morey would settle for a lesser offer just to please him? No eff'in way. Morey would wait for the best offer and milk it then maybe he would oblige by then IF they really can't convince him to stay. With that being said, if NO can't convince CP3 to stay, they will look for the best possible deal. Cap relief, young talents, draft picks and make CP3 a package deal with Okafor. Name one team with the best assets to give NO everything they want... Yes, Daryl Morey's Houston Rockets.
