Emeka Okafor Should be the deal breaker in any CP3 for Rondo trade = No Dwight

[rondohondo]

I posted this in the David West thread, but thought I would make a topic of this after I saw the CP3 article on the front page.

I don't think there's any way that Danny takes on a contract like Emeka Okafor's even if Chris Paul is attached to it . Between Chris Paul, PP and Okafor the c's would already be at about 47mil on the books for the 2012 season . Add in the Juan Johnson and salary holds for empty roster spots and the c's will be around 50 mil.

There have been talks that the new cba will set the 2012 salary cap at around 62 mil . That means the c's would only have around 12 mil under the cap, taking them out of the Dwight Howard sweepstakes.

I love Chris Paul and would definitely trade Rondo,Green and Picks for him, but whats the point if you are going to have a roster built around Paul, Okafor and an aging PP,KG,Ray. They would be legit contenders for next season, but after that they would be a very old team with no ability to add major pieces and would not have any trade chips left to try and acquire another star to play with Paul into the future.

Danny has got to keep that free cap space to add a max free agent like Dwight. I would rather keep Rondo and all our trade chips(Green,2012 clippers,JJ,Bradley) and have the ability to add Dwight(or other big FA) to that Roster than to have Paul and Okafor going into the future.

[jdz101]

Who says were a chance for Howard anyway? Even if we have the money?

Howard doesn't mean championships anyway.

[rondohondo]

Who says were a chance for Howard anyway? Even if we have the money?

Howard doesn't mean championships anyway.

Who says we don't have a chance for Howard? Danny is obviously saving the free cap space for 2012, and why would Doc stay for 5 years if he didn't think the c's would be able to be contenders going into the future . The C's are clearly going after him if he reaches free agency.

Howard/ Rondo gives us a much better chance at a championship than Paul/Okafor

But

of course Paul/ Howard is the best scenario, but like I said there's no way that can happen if we take on okafor.

We would basically become the Hornets of the east with the aging big 3.

[Edgar]

Who says were a chance for Howard anyway? Even if we have the money?

Howard doesn't mean championships anyway.

Howard/ Rondo gives us a much better chance at a championship than Paul/Okafor

But

of course Paul/ Howard is the best scenario, but like I said there's no way that can happen if we take on okafor.

We would basically become the Hornets of the east with the aging big 3.

Can pierce take a 3 million salary cut then to land Howard too
maybe use Okafor to trade him for howard..

[Vermont Green]

I would far rather have Chris Paul get in the way of DH than have DH get in the way of CP3.  I just don't see a winner in DH.

[greenpride32]

If we traded for CP3 I'm sure an extension would have to be part of the deal just like the KG trade. 

Now the big difference is if you traded for CP3, he's on your team guaranteed.  Making a run at Dwight in FA would require that he wants to be here.  Let's say you passed on deal to bring Paul here and then Dwight signs elsewhere; you are left with nothing.  It's quite clear the C's want somebody in that FA class which is why they're keeping their cap space open.  Which player they prefer we don't know.  I'm sure management would view coming away empty handed as a loss considering how careful they have been with not signing contracts into 12-13.

[action781]

I agree.  But I think that could be the deal breaker indeed.  Because I think LA could offer a package that would take on Okafor:

They could offer Bynum, Fisher, and Odom for CP3 and Okafor.  They would essentially turn Paul into Bynum and Okafor's disastrous contract into only 1 year of Odom (after team opts out) and Fisher (after Fish opts out).  I think NOH would have to take that offer over Rondo + filler for CP3...

LA looks like:
CP3/Blake
Kobe/Brown
Artest/Barnes/Walton
Gasol/FA signing
Okafor/FA signing

That team looks good.  If NOH would be interested in taking a year off of Ariza's contract, they could also include a swap of Ariza for Luke Walton which I think LA would be in favor of.

[action781]

If we traded for CP3 I'm sure an extension would have to be part of the deal just like the KG trade. 

Now the big difference is if you traded for CP3, he's on your team guaranteed.  Making a run at Dwight in FA would require that he wants to be here.  Let's say you passed on deal to bring Paul here and then Dwight signs elsewhere; you are left with nothing.  It's quite clear the C's want somebody in that FA class which is why they're keeping their cap space open.  Which player they prefer we don't know.  I'm sure management would view coming away empty handed as a loss considering how careful they have been with not signing contracts into 12-13.

Absolutely.  If we come away empty handed in '12, I will be an extremely upset season ticket holder that management didn't maximize our chances at winning a title when our window was open and came away with absolutely nothing.

[rondohondo]

If we traded for CP3 I'm sure an extension would have to be part of the deal just like the KG trade.  

Now the big difference is if you traded for CP3, he's on your team guaranteed.  Making a run at Dwight in FA would require that he wants to be here.  Let's say you passed on deal to bring Paul here and then Dwight signs elsewhere; you are left with nothing. It's quite clear the C's want somebody in that FA class which is why they're keeping their cap space open.  Which player they prefer we don't know.  I'm sure management would view coming away empty handed as a loss considering how careful they have been with not signing contracts into 12-13.

they traded away a starting center so they can free up cap space, I am pretty sure we know who they prefer. It's D12 or bust.

I would also rather keep Rondo,Green,JJ,Bradley and clippers pick with the ability to add max free agents or a bunch of really good free agents( Javel McGee, Mayo, Josh smith in 2013) than to be stuck with just CP3 and Okafor along with PP. Like I said you can't add anything other than a 10 mil FA(David West Type).

Rondo and all our chips and PP and TONS of cap space is better than CP3,Okafor,PP and David West type free agent for around 10 -12 mil in cap space we would have.

[BballTim]

I would far rather have Chris Paul get in the way of DH than have DH get in the way of CP3.  I just don't see a winner in DH.

  DH has clearly been able to lead teams much farther than CP3, who's been in the league 6 years and made it out of the first round once.

[arctic 3.0]

I love rondo! have since that game wining rebound, circle the the to the top of the key, off balance three in his debut summer league game vs toronto.
that said cp3 is a better player and Okafor's a defensive beast. OAk and KG would dominate.
if both are healthy i'd have to make the deal.
As far as Howard is concerned, two all star talents in hand is better than one in the bush.

[action781]

I would far rather have Chris Paul get in the way of DH than have DH get in the way of CP3.  I just don't see a winner in DH.

  DH has clearly been able to lead teams much farther than CP3, who's been in the league 6 years and made it out of the first round once.

Yes, but CP3 has had a crappier surrounding cast, played tougher first round playoff opponents, and played in a stronger conference every one of those years.

That said, it's still impossible to argue against the fact that DH has proven an ability to lead teams farther in the playoffs than CP with lots of pieces around him that aren't even the best fits.  It is crystal clear to me that Dwight Howard will win championships in the NBA if the right pieces are around him.

[PosImpos]

a) The chances of us getting Dwight any way are extremely low.

b) If taking on Emeka's contract is what it takes to get Chris Paul -- a superstar -- for certain, you have to do it.  

If the choice is CP3 + Okafor or a small chance at snagging Dwight Howard in free agency, I'll take the superstar and the solid role player center.



BTW, "Hornets East" with the Big 3 filling in the 2-4 spots would be SUBSTANTIALLY better than any team NO has put on the floor in the last few years, as long as everybody is healthy.  Moving forward, we'd have a fair amount of cap space once the Big 3 retired and plenty of guys want to play with Chris Paul.

Would Rondo + Howard be better?  Perhaps -- though the free throw situation at the end of games would be horrific.  However, the chances of that are slim to none.

[rondohondo]

a) The chances of us getting Dwight any way are extremely low.

b) If taking on Emeka's contract is what it takes to get Paul, you have to do it. 

If the choice is CP3 + Okafor or a small chance at snagging Dwight Howard in free agency, I'll take the superstar and the solid role player center.

OK, but know that your roster until 2014-15 is Chris Paul,PP,Okafor and Maybe KG and Ray if they agree to come back for 5 or 6mil a year( the rest of the cap space)

Like I said you are contenders for 1 year and then what ?  KG is likely going to retire anyway and you have no ability to replace him with a big free agent .

If you just keep Rondo and all your trade chips and cap space, you already have an allstar PG and tons of cap room and trade chips to get another star in here.

[cman88]

the chances of us trading for CP3 are even lower...I dont see the obsession with trading rondo for CP3....we've got a pointguard who is an assist machine, and is a consistent jumper(which hes been improving) from being at least equal to Chris paul...and we've got him on a cheap contract.

maybe our chance of landing dwight is low...

but look at it this way, once he goes to free agency there's going to be only a limited amount of teams for him to join with cap space...and teams where he can have a chance to win a championship..

Boston is one of those few teams who can offer him a max contract/enough peices to compete...I dont see how our chances are any less than any other team in the league..