Now that the NBA lockout has finally ended and the season is set to tip off Christmas Day, trade rumors have begun to surface. The biggest surround Chris Paul. Paul’s agent informed the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday that his client will not sign a contract extension and wants to be traded to the New York Knicks, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Though Paul has called the trade talk “rumors” and Hornets general manager Dell Demps wants to speak with Paul directly, it appears likely Paul will be wearing a different jersey in 2012. If the Hornets do not make a trade before the end of the season, they will miss out on getting any value for him.
Several teams are in pursuit of the All-Star point guard. New York, however, seems an unlikely destination considering the Knicks have virtually no trade assets.
And if Paul were to become a free agent after the season, he could sign a maximum four-year, $74 million deal, while the Knicks could offer only around $55 million.
– Scott Gleeson
