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Hornets May Deal Chris Paul Before Season

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Published: December 5, 2011

It’s looking like there is rising sentiment within the organization for the Hornets to deal Chris Paul before the season, according to sources close to ESPN. Considering there’s is just about no chance of the Hornets keeping him past the season, that’s great news. The only question now is whether or not we will see a complete and utter tear down. Either way, Dell’s seemingly more and more inevitable decision to deal Paul now, as opposed to after the season starts, leaves me confident in his ability to oversee what will likely at times be a difficult rebuilding process.

Sources told ESPN.com that Paul and Hornets general manager Dell Demps did have their expected sitdown at the team’s practice facility Monday and that the tone of the meeting was amicable. But Paul, sources said, did not tell the Hornets that he is prepared to sign an extension before the regular season opens Christmas Day, which only increases the likelihood that the Hornets deal the star guard this month.

That, of course, is contingent upon finding a palatable deal, but sources that the Hornets are determined to avoid the circus that swirled around the Denver Nuggets. Carmelo Anthony‘s standoff with the Nuggets went from September until February’s trade deadline before Denver finally completed an extend-and-trade deal with the New York Knicks.

It has long been assumed around the league that keeping Paul made the league-owned Hornets more attractive to prospective buyers, but sources told ESPN.com on Monday that the Hornets believe that they will be more appealing to potential suitors if they can stabilize the organization by bringing a resolution to the Paul saga as soon as possible.

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