[Tyreke JohnsonParticipant]

The New Orleans Hornets have yet to start entertaining trade offers for Chris Paul, but that hasn’t stopped the superstar point guard from making exit plans.

The Orlando Magic have emerged as the top team on Paul’s list of preferred destinations, replacing the New York Knicks, according to league sources.

Paul
While the Knicks are still high on Paul’s list, he believes the Magic, with all-star center Dwight Howard, would be a better fit. Paul also realizes Orlando has much more to offer New Orleans in a trade and therefore believes it is a more realistic destination than New York, according to the sources.

Paul will meet with Hornets president Hugh Weber, new general manager Dell Demps and new head coach Monty Williams to discuss the future direction of the club. The Hornets hope to convince Paul to give the new regime a chance, but sources say he is fully expected to present New Orleans with a list of teams he would like to be traded to.

In addition to Orlando and New York, Dallas and Portland are on Paul’s list. The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported on Friday that Paul’s agent Leon Rose reached out to all four teams this week.

While New Orleans currently has no plans to trade Paul, the club also realizes how problematic it would be to have Williams start his coaching career with a disgruntled star.

That’s why the Hornets may indeed decide to trade Paul even though he has two years left on his contract. But New Orleans would not limit itself to the four clubs on Paul’s list. Instead, the Hornets would look for the best deal for its franchise, according to league sources.

New Jersey and Charlotte are known to be among the many teams that would make offers for Paul. Some league sources believe New Orleans would insist that Hornets center Emeka Okafor, who has four years and $52 million left on his contract, be included in any deal for Paul.

Orlando is one of several teams that called New Orleans about trading for Paul earlier this summer, but the Hornets refused to consider moving the three-time all-star under former GM Jeff Bower. League executives are now wondering if that stance will change under Demps.

New Orleans has not listened to proposals yet, and most clubs will likely wait until after Monday’s meeting to begin making offers. Orlando has not had trade discussions with the Hornets regarding Paul, according to sources.

Paul’s desire to play in New York is largely tied to Carmelo Anthony, the Denver Nuggets star. Both players would like to team with new Knick Amare Stoudemire to form a Big Three that could rival Miami’s trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

But while such a scenario is possible, it will be difficult to pull off. First, Anthony must turn down Denver’s three-year, $65 million extension offer, which is something most league insiders don’t believe he will do. Then, the Knicks must put together a package for Paul that entices the Hornets without eating up all the future cap space they would use to sign Anthony as a free agent next summer. If the Knicks took back Okafor with Paul, signing Anthony as a free agent in 2011 would be impossible.

Beyond that, sources say New Orleans may be unlikely to send Paul to New York because so many other teams could present better offers.

Orlando, with point guard Jameer Nelson and former All-Star Vince Carter, who only has one year of guaranteed money left on his contract, is one such team. And a pairing of Paul and Howard would unquestionably make the Magic a title contender.

Here is the link from ESPN, seems more realistic to me being traded to an already great team in the Orlando Magic
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5405528

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

LOL….I Wonder whuts Jameer Nelson is thinking hearing this?

[Tyreke JohnsonParticipant]

Much respect to Nelson as a player but he does seem to have a lot of injuries and though he is good friends with Howard I am sure Dwight wouldn’t mind Paul coming in and putting them back in talk of being a Championship contender, Nelson is not going to like being traded to NO if this trade does go down because though I am not sure what players the Magic would package to get Paul I am almost positive Nelson would be one of the players and NO is not exactly a great team to be on obviously especially compared to the Magic.

[jjmass22Participant]

Dwight and Paul, wow would floria have a lock on players about to enter there prime. This would make the magic a real contender. I personally would love if these 2 played together. Somehow they add carmello next year and they are the best team in flordia because all 3 of them have different games that would play well together. That’s getting ahead of myself tho

[bobbybParticipant]

I am not just saying this because i am a Nets fan but the best deal for N.O. Hornets would be to NJ,
I could go something like

Derrick Favors
Devin Haris
T- Will / Courtney LEE
Draft pics of some sort

for
CP3
Emeka

The Knicks have no draft pics and no young talent except for Gallo.

[d-grizzlyParticipant]

orlando definitely has more to trade for paul than new york does.

here come the million orlando fans to make a million topics about trades that involve paul going to the magic…without seeing orlando give up howard, lewis, carter, nelson.

[butidonthavemoney]

What Orlando fans?

[d-grizzlyParticipant]

ouch money xD lol

[HotSnotParticipant]

If the rumors of Paul wanting to play with “other superstars” are accurate,… if I was the acquiring team, I would be very cautious. Paul only has 2 years left on his contract. If Bosh and Lebron have taught us anything its that players are starting to put a premium on deciding their own destiny’s versus towing the company line for a team. No matter what team acquires Paul, I bet he avoids signing a long term extension and tests free agency in 2 years. It will be tough to mortgage a great deal of your teams assets for a potential 2 year loan on Paul.

[thatdude44Participant]

Don’t start to try and find something wrong with nelson, yea he has a few injurys under his belt but still got it done on the court with DH. If it wasn’t for him steppin’ up then the magics wouldn’t even had a chance. Realistically speaking look at what he did with that team, so just Imagine what CP3 can do…

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

It is a nice story, but Orlando has nothing to give. Marcin Gortat and his $28 million? Jameer Nelson and his Darren Collison game at six times the cost? Brandon Bass and his $12 million? Mickael Pietrus and his $10 million? Who wants $17 million and then a $4 million buyout on Vince Carter? You know he plays so hard on losing teams. Are Magic fans going to channel their inner Knick and think Ryan Anderson and Daniel Orton have trade value? Who doesn’t love Fran Vasquez and his never coming to the NBA game or Milovan Rakovic and his can’t make the Serbian national team game? Does anyone think New Orleans is going to stumble over itself to get itself a collection of 29th pick the drafts?

[NashyMingParticipant]

If the Hornets is planning to rebuild and trade Chris Paul, the Orlando Magic is probably the worst deal of all.

The team has NO young talent to be traded to the Hornets. Nothing!!!

Their best young player would be Ryan Anderson (D12 is not leaving, Nelson is “old” relatively for a rebuilding team, Carter is OLD, Lewis got a fat contract, Reddick is not really needed in a rebuilding team).

The Magic will likely get picks from 26~30. They have no young assets for the Hornets in a rebuilding mode.

I think the other 3 teams have more to offer:
Knicks: Galli, WChandler, Douglas, Walker, ARandolph, Cheeseburger’s contract
Mavs: RoddyB, DJones, picks, Butler, Chandler (can’t trade until Sept)
Blazers: Oden, Batum, Fernandez, Bayless, AMiller (2 yrs), Przy (exp contract), picks, draft rights to a few Euro players

Among them, the best deal would probably be with Portland Trailblazers. They got so many young assets that can be included in a deal.

If I am the Hornets GM, I would probably demand the other team to take on Okafor and Posey with Paul. That way, the only player still on the book would be David West (who has one of the best bargain contract in the league).

[stanford hoops]

you dont have to have alot to give if youre player wants to go to a team. its either keep him or trade him to where he wants to go because he will let it be known that other teams better not try to trade for him

[mini_marzParticipant]

i bet portland wishes that they had kevin pritchard now…. he could make a good deal go down for sure lol

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