During summer league, Chris Paul gave an interview to Chris Tomasson of ProBasketballNews.com.

During the conversation, Paul gave a few lines that has generated three stories and counting.  The quote:

“In this league, anything can happen,” said Paul, at the summer league to watch his Hornets. “I can be dealt.”

Paul then was asked that surely he can’t be serious he could be traded.

“It’s possible,” he said. “It’s possible.”

In response to him saying that, we get article titles of:

• Paul says trade ‘possible’(ProBasketballNews)
• New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul says anyone on the team could be traded, including him (Nola.com)
• Paul concedes he could be traded(ESPN.Com’s Rumor article title)

That’s what I’ve seen so far.  I’m sure others will crop up.   I understand the desire to generate catching headlines, but look at the quote.  99% of the players in the league would say that.  All of them are aware that it’s all a business, and it would take an Ego of someone like, say, LeBron James to say anything else.  Paul’s got an ego, but he’s he’s also always been a realist.  He’s not about to dismiss the chance he could be traded out of hand.

Nola.com so far has the best take on this “Story”.  They actually bothered to get quotes from the Hornets, where the “potential trade” was roundly denied by a seemingly annoyed Hugh Weber and Jeff Bower.  Bower’s response was directly in line with my first take on the quotes:

“I think what Chris said just shows his selflessness that he’s not different than anyone else on the team.”

Of course, Nola.com couldn’t resist the allure of this headline either, starting off their article with:

While watching the Hornets’ summer league team play Thursday night in Las Vegas, Chris Paul told a reporter there’s chance he soon could be traded.

That’s not really what he said, was it?  Going from “it’s possible” to “chance he soon could be traded” is rather . . . lame.

That’s the kind of crap I can’t abide.  Does anyone enjoy being manipulated like that?  Anyone?

And what’s most annoying about those headlines is the ProBasketball News interview has some actual lines in it that could be important to Hornets fans.  Paul talks about how he hopes no one is traded, and that he and James Posey talk about working with what they’ll have, betraying a little worry on Paul’s part.  Those kinds of quotes are the ones that interest me.  Those are the ones I want follow-up on:

What are Paul’s feeling about the lack of movement and possible loss of Chandler for little in return?  Is he frustrated?  Could a step backward, or even lack of improvement by the team make impact his willingness to sign a new extension?

Those things can impact the team, the personnel, and the Front Office.  Not Paul saying it’s possible he could be traded.

Okay.  Rant over.  Now please, go take our snazzy survey and maybe win yourself an even more snazzy jersey.  The more feedback, the better!