3 The Hard Way! Report: Chris Paul asks for trade to NYC, but how?

After awhile , it can get embarrassing, reading other sites/blogs as they repeat the same old lines and repackaging them like they are new. As I pointed out in a previous post on this very blog, Chris Paul wants to be a Knick and has felt this way for quite a long time.

Now we have a report from the New York Daily News that Chris Paul has asked the Hornets to make a trade to the Knicks happen. However, this is old news, let's get to the good stuff.

HOW?

It has to be a three team trade. There has to be a third team that wants to shake up their roster to take on Billups contract (and perhaps one more) so they can have cap space following this season.

Here's the cast for this soap opera and the possible solutions that have not been considered as of  yet.

First, the players
New Orleans Hornets: Chris Paul has an opt-out option after this season.
New York Knicks: Chancey Billups ; gets paid 14 million this year and then his contract expires.

Second: the hidden pieces
New York Knicks: Ronny Turiaf; gets paid just under 5 million this year; contract expires after this season

Potentially, the Knicks have nearly 20 million worth of players to give up to a team that needs cap space for next year. Now what team needs to blow up their roster and may have something worth passing along to the Hornets as far as players/picks.

Third: Teams that have players to give up that match the contracts they take back

Atlanta Hawks:
Josh Smith/Kirk Hinrich to the Hornets; Chauncey Billups/Ronny Turiaf to the Hornets, Chris Paul to the Knicks

Josh Smith: 12.4 million signed till 2012-2013, Kirk Hinrich: 8 million free agent after this season.
Chaunecy Billups: 14.2 million free agent after this season. Ronny Turiaf 4.36 mil free agent after this season

The Hawks would have a PG in Billups, Joe Johnson at the SG and Al Horford at PF and Turiaf at Center. Billups and Turiaf contract ends after this season and the Hawks can go shopping for a new pg/Center or maybe even keep Billups with their MLE and still have room for new free agents.

The Hornets get a young defensive minded player who has been waiting to be the man in Josh Smith and Kirk Hinrich is an experienced PG who's contract ends after this season. Two years to try out Josh Smith, Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor as a strong front court is better than watching Chris Paul walk off to the Knicks for nothing.

Memphis Grizzlies
Rudy Gay to the Hornets; Chauncey Billups (need a second contract , perhaps Balkman) to the Grizzlies, Chris Paul to the Knicks

Rudy Gay;15 mil signed till 2015-2016

Rudy Gay is owed 15 mil and signed till 2014-2015 and a supreme talent. However, the Grizzlies showed they could do a lot of damage without Rudy Gay. This way Grizzlies get a veteran PG in Billups to help Memphis make another push this year and then have more cap space next year after Billups contract expires. The Hornets get a strong player in Gay who can put up points fast and the idea of Ariza and Gay on defense together could be a scary one for the league.

Milwaukee Bucks
Andre Bogut, Shaun Livingston or Carlos Delfino to the Hornets; Chauncey Billups to the Bucks, Chris Paul to the Knicks


Andrew Bogut: 12.1 million this year; signed thru 2013-2014

Andrew Bogut was the number one pick for the Bucks several  years ago and while he has a good career, a change of scenery may be a good idea. Hornets get a young center to create a scary line-up of Bogut, Okafor and Ariza. Billups can be a mentor for the talented but somewhat reckless Brandon Jennings, while adding a veteran presence. Once Billups contract ends after the season, the Bucks will have a lot more cap space than they would with Bogut still signed to them.

While their a lot of other crazy scenarios, these are what I found to be most beneficial to all teams involved. Plus the teams I mentioned have been in the rumors of other sites/blogs for a possible trade.

Overall, I see the Hawks trade as the best one for the Hornets. Smith with Okafor and Ariza for two solid years (injuries notwithstanding) could really be something. Get the right free agent pick-up or draft pick and the Hornets may really have something.

Thoughts?

Kevin Durant "Weatherman" Kicks , a house of hoops exclusive 12/10 this Sat

Nike Zoom KD IV "Weatherman"

Do you have a HOUSE OF HOOPS by you ? If so, next Saturday (12/10), HOUSE OF HOOPS will have these kicks from Kevin Durant. Turns out KD's dream job, other than that NBA thing, is to be a weatherman.

I don't know what else to add to that

click here for more pics/info.

thoughts?

I'm On One: DeAndre Jordan (Slept-On Free Agents)

While people try to figure out which team Dwight Howard goes to , let's focus on some players who may get over-looked in the fray. 

DeAndre Jordan Center, 6-11 F/C 23 years old

2010-2011 stats

• Pts7.1
• Reb7.2
• Ast0.5

Imagine a player nearly 7 ft tall , explosive athletic skills, who's points/rebounds have improved each season and avg just under 2 blocks in 25 minutes last year and no one knows him? Well, I just described DeAndre Jordan for you and it's time we give him his due!

Obviously, DeAndre is cursed several times over. He plays for the lowly Los Angeles Clippers, the team across the street are the Los Angeles Lakers, there's this guy named Blake something on his team and he has gone through 3 coaches in his 3 years.

Three coaches in three years!!! Yet, this kid has improved with each year and I can see him being what Tyson Chandler is , but with youth on his side. 

Though DeAndre Jordan is a restricted free agent, remember he's on the Clippers a team that has let go many good players in the last 10 years alone.

Rumors (Links from other sites and a pic to keep you smiling)

Remember when Penny was the next Magic, then MJ?

"Rumors generally grow deformed as they travel."
-EDWARD COUNSEL, Maxims


I'm happy to share with you other views on the current crop of free agents and the rumors attached to them.
Plus, I don't see going too deep into something that has no basis, ala Chris Paul to Boston for Rondo.

Apparently, EVERYONE is going to the HEAT (SunSentinel)

The old Bynum for Dwight Howard rumor rears it's ugly head again (cbssports)

Kobe/Chris Paul/Dwight the new big 3? Is this NBA2K12? (BleacherReport)

Rudy Gay for Monta Ellis? just because......   (Gather)

Update: Chris Paul to Boston a no-go

@Chris_BroussardChris Broussard 

Let all the CP3-to-Boston chatter cease. CP will not sign long-term ext with Celtics, according to source close to situation.

I don't want to say "I told ya so" , but.......

Chris Paul shows no change in his I Heart NY feelings, lets look back a year ago

As was discussed previously on this blog, Chris Paul can opt out of his contract after this season and the rumors are flying. Celtics sending Rondo for Paul? Thunder sending Westbrook for Paul? yawn........

No team will take Chris Paul unless he agrees to sign an extension with his new team first! So say good-bye to the idea of Chris Paul joining an old team like the Celtics. Kevin Garnett (36 next year) and Ray Allen (37 next year) will be free agents at the end of this year and with the exception of Jeff Green (still not re-signed) and Paul Pierce (35 next year) the Celtics future looks bleak.

The Oklahoma Thunder is an intriguing idea because Chris Paul does know the fan base (anyone remember OKC Hornets?) and Kevin Durant has already signed one extension while making clear his loyalty to the team.

However, this article from February 2011 in the daily news shows that the roots were planted over a year ago.

" "talking, playing and having fun" at Carmelo's wedding in the summer, when he toasted to the idea of teaming up with Amar'e Stoudemire and Anthony in New York. "

A lot of people are familiar with the "toast heard around the world", but then there's this small slice of info has been overlooked. 

"Paul and Anthony are good friends, sharing the same agent, Leon Rose, and having played on the same Olympic gold medal squad in 2008."

So how long has this idea been brewing between these 3? It was more than hinted that Lebron and Wade came up with teaming up during the 2008 Olympics so what did Chris Paul and Carmelo talk about?

Player's Choice-check out Kevin Durant's pregame song (video inside)

@KDTrey5Kevin Durant

Got a new pregame song, that Yelawolf ft Lil Jon- Hard white, go check that out, off his Radioactive album!

10 minutes ago via Echofon Favorite Retweet Reply

For the Knicks first game on 12/25 vs the Celtics, this is what Carmelo's wearing.

So one of my fave sites for kicks, SoleCollector.com , featured the sneakers that will be on Carmelo's feet.

                      Jordan Melo M8

Um, well.....they are festive! 

Go here for more info on these sneakers 

or just check out the site for other kicks/clothing.

thoughts?

Rondo available??? Should the Knicks take a different path?

According to recent reports, the Celtics are NOT shopping Rajon Rondo, but they are open to trade offers. With the other "big 3" getting long in the tooth, another scorer would be a great help to Pierce and the boys.

Without getting into wild speculation, I have to add this. The Knicks do NOT need more scoring, they were 2nd in scoring, but 27th in defense! Rondo can run the team, plays defense and has a lot of fire in him. Chris Paul has the sexy stats, but Rondo doesn't need to score to be helpful to the Knicks.

Remember , Rondo ran the Celtics when they made their championship run and was the point when they went to 7 games with the Lakers the following year. Chris Paul is still a "what if"........in the end , I won't complain if we get Paul either!

thoughts?

This just in.............

@HowardBeckNYTHoward Beck

NBA teams will indeed play two preseason games. Same opponent both games, one in each arena. Pairings TBD, but likely geography-based.

Thoughts??

Air Jordan 11 Concords re-release Dec 23, 2011!

For a mere $180, you can pick up these beauties at your local store. They come out December 23, 2011 and should sell out fast the way the Retro 3's did! So get there early!

In case you forgot how they looked, check out this pic of Michael Jordan wearing them back in the 90's

For more images, go to one of my favorite sites for kicks by clicking here!

Money, it's a crime. (Free Agents pt 2 of 3)

Every year it never fails, does it? A player has a good year on a bad team and/or is in the last year of his contract and they get rewarded with a big fat contract. Well, the Spanish philosopher George Santayana once said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

History has shown us that most NBA GM's aren't up on their Spanish philosophers.

Let's look at the players that teams should (but probably won't) avoid rewarding with big contracts

Boston Celtics: Glen Davis 

2011 stats 

• Pts11.7
• Reb5.4
• Ast1.2

Here we have a player who improved on his stats from the year before and above the league averages at his position (9.3 pts, 4.7 rebs), however he lacks in many areas. 

Last year Davis played in 78 games and started in 13 of those games. For the season, Davis shot just under 45% , but as a starter in 13 games he shot under 42%. Davis has never been a defensive presence and rebounds are not something that he is known for. While you can admire his effort and teams may like the fact that he has been around great players which should have helped him in his development. Davis has mainly shown himself to be a jump-shooting power forward with a basic skillset. However, some team will fall in love with the fact he's been a Celtic and does have a championship ring and overpay him. 

Alanta Hawks: Jamal Crawford

2011 stats:

• Pts14.2
• Reb1.7
• Ast3.2

Well, before I start it should be noted that there are reports of Crawford returning to the Knicks. However, this is a common ploy to get more money from the team that a player is about to re-sign to, the Hawks, and doesn't make much sense. It's very clear that the Knicks want Chris Paul as was discussed earlier in this blog. That's where the Knicks money is going, people. Now back to reality. 

Jamal Crawford is an interesting story due to his impressive ability to create his own shot and his limitless confidence in his shot. However, as Knick fans know, Crawford suffers from Allen Iversonism, terrible shot selection and doesn't know when to stop. Last year Crawford's numbers were down from 18 pg to 14.2pg. His field goal percentage, which has never been good, dropped from a career high 44.9% to 42.1% last year. Defensively, things don't get much better. Crawford couldn't even average a 1.0 in steals last year. Overall, Crawford is a firecracker off the bench, exploding in an outburst of points and energy. To reward him , at age 30, with a fat contract, teams should remember that firecrackers are only good for a quick pop and nothing more. Buyer beware!

These two are just an example of players who will get over-paid. The honorable mentions are as follows:

Tyson Chandler, Thaddeus Young, Jason Richardson......let me know who I missed and your thoughts.

The Sun Always Shines For The Cool (Free Agents pt 1 of 3)

For part one on this series of upcoming nba free agents, let's look at the players who are on everyone's radar.

In case you were not aware, "restricted" free agents means that the players original team can match any offer from another team for example. Knicks could offer 30 million and a lifetime's supply of Gray's Papaya hot dogs to Marc Gasol and the Grizzlies would have every right to match that (do they have hot dogs in Memphis?).

So let's take a look at the main names you will read and hear about in the next few weeks:

Jeff Green (Celtics) RESTRICTED
Tyson Chandler (Mavericks)
Nene Hilario (Nuggets)
Shannon Brown (Lakers)
Shane Battier (Grizzlies)
Marc Gasol (Grizzlies) RESTRICTED
David West (Hornets)
Grant Hill (Suns)
Jamal Crawford (Hawks)
Glen Davis (Celtics)

Basically, I listed the names that will get the most headlines , either due to the fact they are in a big market (G.Davis) or their resume (G.Hill). However, this list has more fill-in players than marquee players. Sure, names like Hilario and West will get attention with rumors of where they may go, but we can't give as much attention to Marc Gasol. As you can see Pau's brother is a restricted free agent and the Grizzlies are not going to let a 7 ft 26 year old who still hasn't tapped his full potential go! I think they learned from trading Marc's brother for a bag of peanuts. Though you never know.......

Before you start playing GM in your mind with your fave team, read what teams currently owe in salaries this year. and remember the salary cap stops at 58 million.

To make your day easier, here are the teams with the most cap space who may make some noise.

INDIANA PACERS - $36,942,191 for 11 players
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS - $44,919,032 for 10 players
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES - $48,630,539 for 13 players
NEW JERSEY NETS - $40,921,102 for 9 players        *may want to re-sign  Kris Humphries (why?)
NEW ORLEANS HORNETS - $45,516,223 for 7 players  *need $$ to re-sign David West
SACRAMENTO KINGS - $29,903,967 for 8 players
TORONTO RAPTORS - $47.179,431 for 10 players
WASHINGTON WIZARDS - $40,792,788 for 7 players

Before you throw your Ipad against the wall, remember two things that may help your team if they are over the salary cap (like my knicks) or have very little salary cap space (like the Cavs).

1. the Mid Level Exception or as you may see in a lot of articles, the MLE. Currently the MLE is a starting salary of $5 million with a contract length of four years. However, remember if your team goes over 4 million over the luxury tax (70 million) then the MLE can will be reduced to a starting salary of $3 million and a maximum length of three years. 


2. Amnesty Clause- The Amnesty Clause basically lets a team let go of a bad/bloated contract (Arenas/B.Davis/R.Lewis) and it won't count against the salary cap. For ex. Gilbert Arenas is owed just under 20 million for next year, why would anyone pay this? So the Magic can let him go and spread the payments out for 10 years. Now the Magic only owe 2 million a year on their cap and Arenas will still get  paid. However, any player let go via Amnesty can be picked up by teams under the salary cap first. 


The main reason to keep this in mind is you may have heard of rumors that Baron Davis/Richard Hamilton etc will all be going to the Heat, but this isn't possible if a team with cap space, let's say the Nets, want to pick up Richard Hamilton first. This is fair for the teams in the rebuilding process and means the Heat/Lakers can't keep stacking up players as if this was a season on NBA 2K12.

Chris Paul, a New York Knick, but sooner than later?

Well, New York Daily News writer Frank Isola has written a great article as a reminder of what may be the next  "Big 3" with the Knicks pursuit of Chris Paul.

To summarize, this will happen! Chris Paul has made it very obvious that he has ambitions to go to a bigger market, but what Knick fans may be forgetting is something a lot more important. CHEMISTRY!

The 2011-2012 season begins on December 25, however we will only have 3 weeks of training camp with just 66 games played. The Knicks need to make this trade sooner than later as their best piece for trade, Chauncey Billups, is in his last year of his contract, but more importantly he turned 35 this year. With an expiring contract (at over 14 mil), he is the Knicks best trade piece,  but could get injured with a shortened training camp and another year added on to his worn body.

If there was anything to learn from the Bosh/Wade/Lebron first year, it's no matter the level of talent...

Chemistry requires time!

Spike Lee has kicks for New York Knick fans!

So did anyone get their hands on Spike Lee's "Spizike" sneakers that came out recently?

In case you couldn't tell (shame on you), they are based on the New York Knicks colors.

What do you think?

Let the Feeding Frenzy Begin! (Free Agents)

Well, now that this crazy little thing called "the lock-out" is over, we get back to the fun and wild rumors that come with free agency.

For a full list of every NBA free agent, Sports Illustrated was nice enough to make a list for you.

However, this blog is different as I will 3 other postings to separate the names that will get the spotlight (ex: Nene Hilario)  from the names that deserve more spotlight (ex:  DeShawn Stevenson) to the names that will get over-paid/hyped (ex: Glen Davis).


Keep in mind that there is a bigger, better list and that is the players in the last year of their contracts or have a player option  in their contract at the end of the 2012 season. Names like Dwight Howard (Magic), Chris Paul (Hornets), Josh Smith (Hawks) and many more. This subject alone will definitively have it's own post as well


Stay tuned!

Journey of a 1,000 miles.....

They say the journey of a 1,000 miles begins with the first step, so....this is the first step.

The first post!

Here you will read (and comment) about NBA everything from the games, players, stats to fashion, news, music that relate with the NBA. I read many different sites/blogs and enjoy what they do , but sometimes it doesn't feel like they are fans. They come off somewhat critical and it feels like homework reading about our favorite league, THE NBA!

Of course, throughout I will have a lot of New York Knicks info due to the fact I actually live in NYC and have loved the New York Knicks since I was a youngin.

Finally, my humor is dark as is my writing style so if you're look for a twist to the written word on your PC/mobile screen, welcome!

Hope you enjoy the site, please leave comments, ideas and retweet the blog (if you have twitter) or post the link of your facebook (everyone has facebook!) so other fans can enjoy.

Let's get started !