The biggest NBA news of the week is the report that New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul is seeking a trade.
- Chris Paul: Unlikely to ever be in a Griz uniform, but we can daydream about it.
Unsurprisingly, the Grizzlies have not been mentioned in any rumors or speculation involving Paul. Right now, NBA megastars are trying to take their talents to South Beach, Hollywood, Madison Square Garden, or the Magic Kingdom, not to Beale Street. But even if location wasn’t an issue, it’s hard to imagine Paul welcoming a trade to a franchise that’s never won a playoff game and has an owner who runs roughshod over team management and is currently haggling with rookies over a few hundred thousand. Further, from the Hornets perspective, trading away your franchise player is one thing. Trading him to a similarly unstable small-market team in your own division is another.
However, with those admissions of reality in place, there are plenty of reasons why the Grizzlies could be a good destination for Paul and a good trade partner for the Hornets. And while the chances of something like this happening are probably close to zero, allow me the brief indulgence of laying out the pitch I’d like to see the Grizzlies make.
The General Pitch to Paul: We can pair you with two great young pieces — Rudy Gay (23) and Marc Gasol (25). Gay is an emerging star and one of your closest friends in the league. He’ll be the most dynamic wing scorer you’ve ever played with and also a player who will become much better playing alongside a point guard of your caliber. Paul-to-Gay will become one of the most exciting and effective open-court pairings in the league. Gasol, who just finished second in the Most Improved Player race, is a proven winner and emerging all-star-caliber true center who will be the best two-way big man you’ve ever played with. We believe that, with the right mix of role players — shooters, rebounders, defenders — a team built around this trio can be a legitimate contender, and one that will allow you to still be the unquestioned team leader. We will commit to putting a winning team in place around you, Gay, and Gasol, including paying luxury tax if needed. And we will give you a three-year max extension under the current CBA, with a player option in the second year, giving you the flexibility of opting out if you don’t like the direction the team is heading after three seasons.
