Chris Paul is in control of his destiny. He will ultimately decide where he will work in the fall of 2012.
Which is apparently bad news for the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors. Those two teams had been considered frontrunners in the CP3 sweepstakes, but both were hesitant to include their biggest guns in an offer because they wanted a commitment from the All-Star point guard that he would sign an extension with them.
But they are not going to get that, reports David Aldridge at NBA.com.Chris Paul will not commit to signing a contract extension after this season with either the Golden State Warriors or Los Angeles Clippers if he is traded to either team by the New Orleans Hornets, citing the potential financial hit if he were to do that rather than becoming a free agent and signing a new deal with a new team next summer, according to league sources. That has left potential deals with both teams in limbo….
The Clippers, for example, are very reluctant to include the unprotected first-round pick from Minnesota they currently own in any deal with New Orleans -- which is understandably holding out for the maximum amount possible in exchange for its franchise player -- under the current scenario.
The Warriors reportedly would not consider adding Stephen Curry into a trade until Paul would give his word to sign an extension. This is what happened with the Celtics, where trade talk of Rajon Rondo for Paul died when Paul said he would not sign an extension. (There are rumors the Celtics are trying to find a three-team deal that interests the Hornets, but that does not help get Paul to sign an extension.)
Where will Paul sign an extension? The Knicks for one, but the Hornets do not want to do a trade with them because New York does not have any trade assets that intrigue New Orleans.
Maybe the Lakers, who also show up on the list of Aldridge and just about everyone else following where Paul might sign. But the Hornets would want Andrew Bynum in any deal and the Lakers may be saving him to try and get Dwight Howard if the Orlando center comes on the market. (Bynum’s agent told the OC Register nobody has called him about a deal. Pau Gasol is in the mix but do the Hornets really want a 31-year-old big man now? There also are the questions of who else is in the deal (Lamar Odom and Emeka Okafor?) Talks between the Lakers and Hornets are reportedly moving slowly.
Dallas and Houston are knocking on the door but seem to be farther back, reports Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated.
It may come down to this: What team is willing to trade for Paul and take the risk they can convince him to stay and sign an extension?
Not the Clippers. Not the Warriors. That much we know. So they may be out of the Chris Paul sweepstakes.