Wolves Facilitating the CP3 Trade: Gets Pau Gasol.

I have been playing around with scenarios on how the CP3 trade could go through and the Hornets(/NBA) are demanding a lot of young talent in exchange for CP3. The Wolves have a lot of young talent, they could facilitate this trade scenario. And the young Wolves squad gets an All-star leader with several Championship experience in Pau Gasol.

The previous deal almost made CP3 a Laker, which the NBA rejected is:

Lakers gets: CP3

Houston gets: Pau Gasol

Hornets gets: Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Lamar Odom, Goran Dragic, LA 1st round pick, Houston 1st round pick

In a new scenario, the Wolves would facilitate this trade instead of the Rockets. Wolves have a lot of young players that they could throw to the Hornets (or the the NBA's/Commissioner's face).

However there are pros and cons in every trade. And we will break down the trade below...

TWOLVES:

In: Pau Gasol

Out: Beasley, Wes Johnson, Ridnour, Darko

The Wolves nets Pau Gasol, who I mentioned above, is an All-star leader with several Championship experience. He is the perfect mold of a team captain, he has the credibility and experience to lead a mediocre team (he did it in Memphis before). He is also a Spaniard who could help his fellow Spaniard Ricky adjust in the NBA. And did I mention they are also good friends? What's best is that the team gets a legit big man who has the length to also play Center position.

The Wolves also lose Beasley who is about to demand a huge contract and will be a redundant player since they already have D.Will. The only loss here might be Wes, since Wolves are thin at the SG spot. Martell is still injured but Malcolm Lee (Defense specialist combo guard) seems to be having high praises from the coaching staffs including Rick Adelman. And Rick will surely be playing 2 PGs from time to time. Ridnour is already bound to be traded with the JJ Barea signing. Plus Wolves gets to unload Darko's not so good (awful) contract.

HORNETS:

In: Bynum, Beasley, Wes, Ebanks, Ridnour, (1st round pick from LA / Min)

Out: CP3, Okafor, Ariza

Hornets will receive a good core of developing young guys. And a possible franchise centerpiece in Bynum. He is long, young and full of potential. Bynum have shown that he can produce on the court when he is healthy. Plus he also have championship experience under his belt.

Beasley, a former number 2 overall pick by the Heat, is a really good scorer and is only 22 yrs old. Has a lot of potential left in him. Over the years, Beasley has shown that his game has been improving. Wes is an intriguing player, he can shoot from the arc, athletic, and has the physical set to be a good defender in the league. Ebanks is another young player whom the Hornets could develop. And since CP3 is traded, Ridnour may be an upgrade over Jack who is the only PG left for the team. And the Hornets will demand picks from the Lakers and/or the Wolves, if teams are willing, they could send their 1st round pick to the Hornets.

Hornets lose their franchise player, CP3 but still got some young pieces in return (as NBA demanded). It's really not a bad return for losing CP3. They will have Bynum as a centerpiece to build a team around. And they were only demanding Eric Gordon from the Clippers. So who would you build your team around? Gordon or Bynum? I'd be more intrigued with Bynum. Plus the team will get to shed 2 huge long term contracts of Okafor & Ariza.

LAKERS:

In: CP3, Okafor, Ariza, Darko

Out: Gasol, Bynum, Ebanks

The big question here is, would you rather have CP3 or Bynum as your franchise player by the time Kobe retires?

The Lakers will receive another future hall of fame to play alongside Kobe. Chris Paul baby!!! The Lakers weren't shy on showing that they want, the 26 years old, CP3 on their team. Kobe is already 33 and will be retiring in a few years. LA have another cornerstone to build their team's future with this trade. There's not much explanation to be done here since everyone knows how big it is to acquire Chris Paul.

Another question here is, did the Lakers gave up too much for CP3? And why are the Lakers absorbing all those bad contracts!? Probably yes, they gave up too much to acquire Chris Paul. Maybe because the organization realized that it will be difficult to win championships with their core so they gave up an injury prone Bynum too. And probably that's why they gave up Odom for a 2nd round pick. But the explanation is... Okafor & Ariza (along with Kobe, World Peace & Blake's) contract expires on 2014. With CP3 signing an extension, he might be the only Laker under (big) contract by that time. LA would be in position to sign possible big names who might be bound to be free agents before the 2014/2015 season. Some of the free agents might be: Blake Griffin, L. Aldridge, Tyreke Evans, James Harden, Stephen Curry & Derozan. It would be a dream scenario if the Lakers could steal Griffin from the Clippers & probably Aldridge from the Blazers, and bring back a 36 year old Kobe.

As for the win now scenario, it might be difficult for the Lakers since they have lost their twin towers, Bynum & Gasol. On the trade, they recive two big men in Okafor & Darko. Both of them is surely not as good as Bynum & Gasol, but they are both good defensive (shot blockers) centers. PLus they already signed McRoberts for 2 years. Also, they will have the service of Ariza (could also be traded for a PF) who is another good defender to match-up against the Lebrons, Wades& Durants of the NBA. On a positive note, Kobe & CP3 have proven that they, alone, can carry a mediocre team deep into the playoffs. But this time, they would have another superstar alongside them to help carry a mediocre team to possibly winning a championship.

via i42.tinypic.com