Up front: I want to keep Collison until at least the trade deadline 2011 due to the fact our expirings become more valuable, i think more quality players will be avaliable (see Houstons work last year) and paul may get injured again (balsphemy i know) and he is the best insurance around. I am going to talk about this offseason though, as i believe a great amount will depend on this offseasons movement regarding the trade deadline.

If we were to trade him you have to look at the teams around the league that need point guards, in my mind there are those that do, those that dont and those that may or may not depending on how they view their own players and their successors. They Do:

• Indiana
• NY
• LA (but dont really need a true PG as proven over this year and last few)

Maybe

• Charlotte (Depends on feltons FA and how they view Augustine)
• Cleveland (Depends on view of Mo Williams)
• Memphis(Depends on view of Conley)
• Atlanta (have Bibby and teague but neither is great)
• Miami (have Chalmers and a few others)
• Philly (depends on Jrue Holiday and where they think Iguodala should play)
• Toronto (have Jack and Calderon but neither great)
• Sacremento (depends where they think Tyreke will play)
• Portland (depends on view of Bayless)

Everyone else either has one or the lone exception Washington, who will get Wall

Now of the teams above i think we can strike a fair few out from the running due to either; them having nobody NO wants, nobody worth collison or nobody NO could get.

• Cleveland – the only realistic trade i could see would be Varejao Hickson and telfair for collison and okafor (kinda makes sense for both sides but i dont see the cavs doing it ever due to their love of both varejao and hickson) but they wouldnt give him up so no trades here
• Memphis – i dont think they would give up gasol no matter how much i want him, we have an oj clone in Thornton and theres nobody else i can see us wanting
• Atlanta – who do i want here that is worth Collison? nobody
• Miami – have nobody on their roster we could want (Beasley i think is class but not the charachter for NO)
• Toronto – Bosh is the only player there we would want – and we dont have the means to get him as they would want a low post player to move Bargnani to PF and i dont think okafor fits the bill (guess trade here Okafor Collison and Mo Pete for Bosh S&T, salaries would match)
• LA – they wouldnt want collison as not a fit for them as hes a pure point and nobody there we would could realistically get
• Philly – i cant see any realistic trades this offseason with them as they wouldnt give the 2nd pick awaya s i believe they will run more :Dalembert/Speights, Young, iggy, Turner (2nd pick), Holiday/Williams if they would throw the 2nd pick in and Holiday or eg Williams (then we put in Songaila) and we put the 11th , collison, cash and a future 1st in, then it may be possible. I could also see them blowing it up mid season if the player dont fit.

That leaves these teams that i could see as trade partners if they so wanted: Charlotte, Indiana, NY, Philly and Sacramento

So heres one trade for ach time that i though most likely to go through (probably a slight NO bias here)

Charlotte: G. Wallace (centrepiece), DJ Augustine (backup pg), Ajinca (for salaries) and maybe pick for Collison (starter) Posey and Mo pete and maybe pic. I see any trade with Charlotte as being unlikely until i know Felton is gone and that they dont like Augustine, i also think this trade is too much for NO as Wallace is awesome

Indiana: Hibbert (future starter maybe), Hansbrough(good bench man), Jones (useful player) and maybe pick for Collison and Songaila (useful for them). I could see this happening as Collison is a massive upgrade for them and songaila could help them, i also think that the players we would get arent unrealistic with the pick 10.

NY: Curry (they want rid off him) and Gallinari (nice 3 for us) for Collison (starting point) Mo Pete and Posey, the knicks take back about a million less we get another big expiring that could be useful later on and he may even contribute as its contract year and a nice starting 3 who peja but younger and possibly higher cieling. they get collison, possible as adds more cap space to them and already have chandler at the 3, far more likely if they get LBJ, so extremely unlikely trade.

Sacremento: (ONLY IF THEY SEE REKE AS A 2) Thompson (nice big man for us) + 5 for DC + 11, we get a nice pick they get a good pick and get to move tyreke over, landry would start with hawes and it might work. a goodish trade if and only if they want reke at 2. Maybe a problem of collison and reke being primary ball handlers.

Portland: Przbilla (nice piece) + Batum (immediate starting sf and very complimentary to the pieces here already, they also have webster who can ball and is on a bigger contract) for Collison (splits with Dre then starts) and Posey (throw in, lucky them :)) This is quite possible, if the dont want bayless as the point of the future which i think they do, so i reckon its very unlikely. If a trade with Portland were to go ahead – the player i would most want is Oden, despite the injuries i think he will be a BEAST, they also have camby and przbilla. Miller + Oden for Collison, songaila and Mo pete, please!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of the trades i have listed i think any trade with Indiana is the most likely due to their need of a PG, reasonable young players with potential, useful vets and a reasonable pick. We have things they could use and vice versa.

This is all, of course, just educated guesses and i believe Bower will do the right thing for the organisation.