It seems more and more likely that all-star guard Chris Paul will be featured as part of the NBA's season-opening slate of games on Christmas Day. Thing is, the Hornets don't play their opener until the 26th.
It seems Hornets management has made the decision to deal Paul as soon as possible. The leading contenders for his services seem to be the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors are reportedly offering a package including Stephen Curry, Ekpe Udoh and rookie Klay Thompson; the Clippers won't offer Blake Griffin or Eric Gordon, but the rest of their roster is in play. According to one report, the Clippers made an early offer to restricted free agent DeAndre Jordan with an eye towards including the promising young center in a deal for Paul.
The Clippers and Warriors are set to play each other in the fifth of five games scheduled for Christmas Day.
Paul is unlikely to sign an extension with either team. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, he can actually make the most money by opting out of his contract at the end of the season and then re-signing with the team that holds his Larry Bird rights. That does raise the possibility that he could opt to sign elsewhere next summer, but doing so would mean giving up millions over the life of his contract.
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