Celtics, Warriors, Clippers "strongly engaged" in Chris Paul talks

[celticinorlando]

New Orleans strongly engaged with Clippers, Warriors and Celtics in trade talks for Chris Paul on Tuesday, league sources tell Y!

Well there you go.  The Clippers can probably put together the best package, if the Hornets don't care about getting a PG back.  I love Rondo, but Eric Gordon, Eric Bledsoe, and Minnesota's #1 would probably blow our offer out of the water.

Hornets would be crazy to not do this deal. Getting Gordon and Bledsoe, ur backcourt be set. And with T-Wolves #1 pick, Davis is probably the top pick. If the draft lottery doesnt fall the Clips way, they still can get Barnes or Sullinger

they just need to contract the hornets

[Kane3387]

Paul would have to commit to an extension to go to those two places. We are the only team that will get him without one.

[celticinorlando]

they are seriously burning the bridge with rondo...this might get to the point where they have to trade him

[Drucci]

Whole article by Woj :

As the New Orleans Hornets push closer to making a decision on where to trade Chris Paul, the All-Star point guard has indicated the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors could significantly raise their chances of keeping him beyond this season if they also sign center Tyson Chandler, league sources told Yahoo! Sports on Tuesday.

Paul hasn’t promised he would re-sign in July with one of those teams if they acquired Chandler, but league sources said Chandler could make a significant difference in ultimately swaying Paul to commit to a long-term deal, sources said.

Three teams in pursuit of Paul believe the Hornets will push for final offers – and make a decision – by the start of training camp on Friday, front-office sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Clippers’ and Warriors’ packages are the most intriguing to New Orleans general manager Dell Demps, league sources said.

So far, talks between the Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers have gathered little, if any, traction, sources said. The Boston Celtics remain aggressive in their pursuit of Paul and held discussions with New Orleans on Tuesday.

The Hornets were significantly engaged in talks with the Clippers in talks on Tuesday, but the Clippers have shown no desire to meet Chandler’s request for a contract starting at more than $12 million a year, sources said. The Clippers are worried about an ability to pay significant money to Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon, Paul and Chandler over the long-term.

The Clippers would have to include 23-year-old restricted free-agent center DeAndre Jordan in a package to get Paul, along with forward Al-Farouq Aminu, guard Eric Bledsoe and the 2012 first-round pick they acquired the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Clippers are more attractive to Paul than the Warriors or Boston Celtics, because of the chance to be paired with Griffin and Gordon. Golden State has been aggressive in its pursuit of Chandler independent of Paul, but the Warriors don’t have as appealing of a supporting cast for Paul. The Warriors’ offer for Paul is centered around Stephen Curry and rookie guard Klay Thompson.

The Hornets consider the Clippers and Warriors to have the most desirable trade assets, but Paul has been hesitant to commit to signing a contract extension to remain with either team unless they surround him with enough talent. Paul’s ultimate hope has been a long-term pairing with Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, but Paul did play three seasons with Chandler in New Orleans, where they came within a game of reaching the 2008 Western Conference finals.

As constituted, the Hornets prefer the Clippers and Warriors packages, but were still discussing several scenarios with the Celtics – including third-team trade possibilities and sign-and-trade money for restricted free agent forward Jeff Green. The Hornets prefer Curry to Rajon Rondo, sources said, but a third team could sweeten the Celtics package beyond the core of Rondo and Green.

The Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks also have aggressively pursued Paul. Dallas remains a long shot in the talks, but has been canvassing other teams for players that would interest in the Hornets.

The Rockets would offer some combination of Kevin Martin, Kyle Lowery, Luis Scola, Patrick Paterson and draft picks. The Clippers are intriguing to the Hornets because of the possibility of emerging young Jordan, who would likely receive a $45 million-$50 million, five-year contract in a sign-and-trade deal.

If the Clippers don’t trade for Paul, they will try to ultimately sell him on signing with them as a free agent in July, with the allure of Jordan on a less expensive long-term deal than they would have to pay Chandler now.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-wojnarowski_chris_paul_hornets_offers_nba_120611

[celticinorlando]

rondo and green in a lot to give up for a guy that will not commit to being here next season

[Who]

It doesn't sound like Eric Gordon is in any of the Clippers trade proposals.

[Fafnir]

It doesn't sound like Eric Gordon is in any of the Clippers trade proposals.

Nope.

Looks like they're trying to keep him.

[Celticjay]

All I want for Christmas is CP3 and a shane battier as a stocking stuffer...

[celticinorlando]

wonder what we would have left if they traded rondo and green?

[Roy H.]

It doesn't sound like Eric Gordon is in any of the Clippers trade proposals.

Nope.

Looks like they're trying to keep him.

Paul + Gordon + Griffin is a heck of a core.

[heitingas]

What are the odds of the Clippers sign and trading Jordan to the Mavs for Chandler and the Warriors same thing with one of their players?

Aren't the Clippers after to sign Howard too,why would they do that ? and could the warriors do anything with the Mavs ? That's the only way they could get Chandler .

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Wow, lots of stuff going on here ... I don't know why anyone would want to go to Golden State ... I understand Paul wanting to play with either Howard or Chandler, but I don't think it can happen this season ... It seems that the Clippers would HAVE to give up Gordon in any deal for Paul ... If the C's had to include Green in a package w/Rondo for Paul, then Boston would have to go get Battier ... and that would possibly leave Boston with no Rondo, Paul or Green next season, so I guess we'd literally be starting from scratch ... Yikes, did I miss anything? Probably.

[Roy H.]

Would the Mavs take back Chris Kaman on an expiring deal in a S&T, or would they tell the Clippers to pound salt?

My guess is, they'd take Kaman.

[Who]

Would the Mavs take back Chris Kaman on an expiring deal in a S&T, or would they tell the Clippers to pound salt?

My guess is, they'd take Kaman.

Yep, I reckon the Mavs take Kaman too. Nice expiring contract.

Sets them up for 2012 while also giving them a quality seven footer to work with in the meantime.

[Kane3387]

That pick from the T-Wolves though is a serious trade chip and could likely produce a player much better then Gordon.