My Favorite Trade Destination for Paul: the Clippers

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Published: June 29, 2011

ESPN Insider had a post today that mentions New York, Portland and Oklahoma City as potential destinations for CP if he were to be traded this year.

All of the ideas are intriguing. Rich Bucher and Chris Boussard basically say that we would get Amare or Carmelo back from NYK, Russell Westbrook from OKC and unnamed players from Portland (I would think Gerald Wallace, Greg Oden and some picks). Actually, we’d need picks from all of these potential contenders. But here I actually disagree with ESPN, I think the best trade destination for the Hornets and for CP is the Los Angeles Clippers, long one of my favorite teams because after years of being a Saints fan, I can appreciate a long-tortured franchise.

Check out this Three-Teamer I put together yesterday. Think about it from all sides. NOH gets a star defender with Igoudala, prospects like Bledsoe and Aminu, a one-year center and cap relief, plus a draft pick (Maybe Minn’s 2012?). 76ers get a legit center for their run-and-gun game, which is harder to find these days, plus Ryan Gomes to fill in Iggy’s role. Clippers take Nocioni’s ridiculous contract off the 76ers books and get CP. The 76ers would probably want a pick too.

Or a straight up trade like this one, plus draft picks and a smaller player to fill the David Andersen role makes the Hornets deep, young, and would give the Clips a starting 5 of CP3-Foye-Gomes-Griffin-Jordan. That’s a legit contender although they might demand Ariza back (which might require us to take Mo Williams and his god-awful contract or some type of sign-and-trade), but if they sweetened the deal with picks, it could be worth it. Sometimes you have to be bad for a while to be good, (see, e.g. Boston Celtics). It’s unlikely but possible they would take Okafor too, but they’d have to do some sign-and-trades and bring in a third team as shown above to make it work. (Or something like this, perhaps with a Sign-And-Trade of DeAndre Jordan + Randy Foye or Gomes instead of Mo Williams?) 

The Clippers have assets. They have expiring contracts, young prospects and draft picks. If we’re going to trade CP, you have to look at their roster and see the best bang for your buck. If the plan is to blow up the team completely, then trading CP when his value is highest to a team with low-cost young players and picks should be the goal.

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