What nobody also seems to realize is this: Under the new CBA, the maximum amount of years ANY team can offer ANY player in an EXTENSION—whether they have Bird Rights or not—is three additional years. In Paul’s case, an extension with the Hornets can be, at most three more years. The terms? Three additional years at $56 million.

* Extend-and-Trade Max: two years, $35 million
* Bird Extend Max: three years, $56 million

But here’s the most important thing that nobody seems to realize: The most lucrative option for ANY player, based on the new CBA, is to become a free agent and re-sign with the team that holds their Bird Rights. That’s the only way to get the fifth guaranteed year…But the point is this: Those that assure you that the Knicks don’t have a chance of landing Paul due to financial constraints or a “lack of assets” simply don’t know what they’re talking about.

If he wants to leave New Orleans, he could force a trade to the team of his choice, without the extension, and then opt out at the end of this season and become an unrestricted free agent. Since Bird Rights travel with a player who is traded, his new team would have his Bird Rights when he becomes a free agent and could sign him for his Bird Max.

Paul can also extend and trade to NY and get a richer contract on his next deal in the summer of 2014. His extension would look like this: 2011-12 $16,359,805, 2012-13 $17,779,457, 2013-14 $18,579,532. Paul could then sign as a FA with Bird Rights for a big lucrative 5 year Bird Max contract with the Knicks.

2012 first round draft pick to Houston
New York's own 2012 1st round pick to Houston (top 5 protected in 2012, top 5 protected in 2013, top 5 protected in 2014, and top 5 protected in the 2015 Draft). If Houston does not receive a 1st round pick from New York by the 2015 Draft, then New York will convey their own 2015 2nd round pick and 2016 2nd round pick to Houston. [Houston - New York - Sacramento, 2/18/2010]

2012 second round draft pick to Phoenix
New York's own 2012 2nd round pick to Phoenix (top 55 protected in the 2012 Draft). If New York's own 2012 2nd round pick is in the top 55 picks, then New York's obligations to Phoenix shall be extinguished. [New York - Phoenix, 7/8/2010]

2014 first round draft pick to Denver
New York's own first round draft pick to Denver in the "First Allowable Draft". (The First Allowable draft shall be the draft that occurs two years following the year in which New York satisfies its existing obligation to convey their own 2012 protected first round draft pick to the Houston Rockets from the trade involving Jared Jeffries). [Denver - Minnesota - New York, 2/22/2011]

2016 first round draft pick to Denver (SWAP)
If New York is obligated to send its own first round pick in the First Allowable Draft to Denver prior to the 2016 draft (see the details regarding the 2014 protected first round pick from New York to Denver), then Denver shall also be permitted to swap its own 2016 first round pick with New York's own first round pick. However, if the First Allowable Draft does not occur until the 2016 draft, then Denver will not be entitled to the additional first round swap and instead shall receive New York's own 2017 2nd round pick. [Denver - Minnesota - New York, 2/22/2011]

Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/detailed#ixzz1fKV6QIDf

In any event they could trade 2017. I'm not sure why a team would be so concerned with NY's picks given that they're are going to end up being non lottery picks anyway. There's no real value in any of NY's picks so long as they have CP3, Melo and STAT.

This is the trade i'd offer to New Orleans. CP3 for CB, TD, Fields and rights to Jordan, plus 2016 or 2017 pick and $3 mil in cash.

loweyecue wrote:Here we go! Again! - why am I surprised?
I miss Donnie.

This situation is a bit different. We don't have anyone left that we are so attached to that it would hurt to give them up. This deal is gonna be a less attractive deal than the Denver deal, which wasn't that amazing either. Donnie would be compelled to do a deal too.

CP3 and NO really don't want to go thru an entire season of this same crap that Denver did. It's better than CP3 makes the demand and gets it out of the way before the season. They can let it be a clean start. If you look at my post above there is a possible deals to be made.

nixluva wrote:

loweyecue wrote:Here we go! Again! - why am I surprised?
I miss Donnie.

This situation is a bit different. We don't have anyone left that we are so attached to that it would hurt to give them up. This deal is gonna be a less attractive deal than the Denver deal, which wasn't that amazing either. Donnie would be compelled to do a deal too.

CP3 and NO really don't want to go thru an entire season of this same crap that Denver did. It's better than CP3 makes the demand and gets it out of the way before the season. They can let it be a clean start. If you look at my post above there is a possible deals to be made.

Don't get me wrong, I think this is the right way to go about it if that's what he wants at least from Paul's POV. If Melo had done this last year he could have avoided a bunch of drama because Wlash would have made Denver a gentleman offer and gotten the deal done with minimum fuss. Now we don't have Walsh and what will happen is Dolsiah will lead us through the usual three ring circus and we will probably end up with Grant Hill or some other over the hill (pun intended) type with a huge contract before you can say Eddy Curry. Without Walsh and with our current assets we will definitely need to involve a third team, this thing is a disaster waiting to happen. I think the trade will happen, will cost us all remaining assets and saddle us with yet another albatross contract and we will be in teh same situation the heat was in at first - unable to fill in a 15 man roster.

nixluva wrote:

loweyecue wrote:Here we go! Again! - why am I surprised?
I miss Donnie.

This situation is a bit different. We don't have anyone left that we are so attached to that it would hurt to give them up. This deal is gonna be a less attractive deal than the Denver deal, which wasn't that amazing either. Donnie would be compelled to do a deal too.

CP3 and NO really don't want to go thru an entire season of this same crap that Denver did. It's better than CP3 makes the demand and gets it out of the way before the season. They can let it be a clean start. If you look at my post above there is a possible deals to be made.

Denver made out pretty well in a similar situation, so I would be OK with waiting if I were Demps. Of course there is no impending lockout, but if that third team gets in the mix around whenever the deadline is set, I think all of us know Dolan could get suckered in giving more than he has to.

They shouldn't give up anything and just wait to sign him outright this summer.

loweyecue wrote:

nixluva wrote:In the end regardless of the fact that the league owns the Hornets, there are only 2 options. New Orleans does a deal with the Knicks and gets something or they refuse to deal and lose CP3 for NOTHING! Teams always have to deal. It's a tough pill to swallow, but you can't cut off your nose to spite your face. CP3 can simply walk at the end of the year and still go where he wants to go, even if that means less money. New Orleans would have nothing but some cap space to show for it. That would be dumb when they can still get cap space in the form of CB's $14 mil expiring and also get some young players and a pick, maybe $3 mil in cash.

If CP3 refuses to sign with any team except the Knicks there are no options for New Orleans. New Orleans knows it. Stern knows it. The Agent for CP3 and the Knicks know it.

A team about to start negotiating against Dolan doesn't need options they just need patience. All they have to do is drag their feet and Dolan will offer whatever he can get his grubby hands on.

CP3 for CB, TD, Fields, Jordan, 2017 pick and $3 mil is probably about what it will end up being. It works out capwise and about all that they could demand is another future pick. That doesn't really bother me at all. Like Melo it would be worth it.