He's not a free agent, and he's certainly far from free.
But Chris Paul is possibly this: the summer's next storyline.
As the circus continues in Cleveland with LeBron James as the ringleader, with free agency 2010 offshoots taking place in Chicago and Miami and New York and Los Angeles, the idea that the summer's next big splash could be the trading of New Orleans point guard Chris Paul seems more real by the day.
It often goes that way when a rising star is stuck with a team on the decline, and the signs are strong that the fifth-year pro wants out. He means it when he says he loves New Orleans, and those who know him say it's not his style to demand a trade in the city that adores him back, but the continuing ownership uncertainty and bleak organizational outlook are clearly an irritant to the three-time All-Star. "(Paul's frustration) is very real, very real," said a source close to Paul. "He doesn't see them putting a (championship-caliber) team together."
It was April 23 when news broke of the ownership change. The Hornets were supposedly set to transfer majority ownership from George Shinn to Gary Chouest, with all involved - except Shinn, of course, but including Paul - claiming it was a fantastic move in the right direction. Team officials were even telling reporters the deal would be finalized by the end of the month.
More than two months later, Shinn is still in charge and Chouest -- the supposed billionaire who runs the Edison Chouest Offshore global marine service company -- continues to gather minority investors to get the deal done. The delay reportedly has nothing to do with the April 20 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, that is the largest in the country's history, even if it's clear he took massive losses because of the disaster. NBA commissioner David Stern even raised a red flag on May 11, saying "it's not a given at all" that the sale would go through.
Meanwhile, he saw his favorite coach and close friend (Byron Scott) fired early last season and his general manager (Jeff Bower) is now reportedly hoping for an exit of his own to New Jersey. And now, we wait to see if the sequence of events leads to the Hornets being forced to lose Paul.New Orleans already turned down aggressive proposals from Portland and New Jersey, according to sources, and FanHouse reported on talks with Orlando that were denied by general manager Otis Smith days before additional reports surfaced about his pursuit of Paul.
Paul has three years and a combined $49 million left on his contract, with the final season a player option. It is believed any hopeful suitor would have to take center Emeka Okafor back in a possible deal, thus relieving the cap- and cash-strapped Hornets of his contract worth an astounding $52.1 million over the next four years.
As it stands, New Orleans - which has first-time head coach Monty Williams in place after Bower was the interim in the post-Scott portion of the season - has a payroll of $66 million for a team that finished 37-45 last season and missed the playoffs when Paul missed 37 games due to injury. That campaign included the emergence of rookie point guard Darren Collison, who played so well the Hornets wouldn't necessarily need a point guard back in a trade.
And while Shinn issued a statement on the matter saying Paul wouldn't be traded, his final statement -- whether intentional or not -- left the door open to exactly that.
"We plan to take advantage of any opportunities to improve our team."
Paul has stopped short of demanding a trade, but he hasn't kept his feelings hidden privately or publicly either. On June 24, he told ESPN he was "open to being traded" if the proper commitment wasn't shown, then told reporters in New Orleans on Friday "I just want to make sure we're committed to winning."
The courting and the pressure will only intensify, with teams coming even harder after these stars choose their respective spots and the landscape of possibilities changes. Paul is too special, too dynamic to be hamstrung like this.
The next summer circus might be around the corner. *Kanye Shrug*
