Top 10 Destinations for Chris Paul

The superstar point guard is the latest NBA player who wants to arrange for his next team, but unlike some people, he doesn't have the contract status to just go to where he chooses. It's a darn shame. But on the plus side, it means that we finally, after days and days, have a guy where we can speculate on his next address. Thank heavens. Let the rampant rumor mongering begin!

10) Cleveland. Dan Gilbert's serious about winning a championship before LeBron! Oh, wait, actually he isn't, and Cleveland doesn't have a team anymore. But if they somehow got him, they'd give him the best rebound love you could imagine, and the survivors from the LeBron Era wouldn't look so 30-win awful next year.

9) New Orleans. If David Stern were still alive, he'd get in touch with Paul and Hornets owner George Shinn, and tell both parties to make the marriage work, rather than crush the spirit of those hardy New Orleans fans. But screw those people. They won an NFL championship, so that means their sporting needs are satisfied, no matter how many levees break and how many people avoid the BP-ruined coast as the Death of Tourism.

8) New Jersey. Is Net Fan still excited about the Mikhail Prokhorov Era? Considering it ties into the Billy King Era, I'd say no... and any Paul trade would have to involve Devin Harris, who has to be going at fire sale prices right now. It's hard to see that they have enough to move for him, but if the Bugs are just dumping salary, he could go here.

7) Portland. Possibly the best hope for Bug Fan, assuming this person actually exists, for actual value, since the Blazers ran off a decent GM for no good reason, and there's talent on the roster that meddling owner Paul Allen will undervalue. Oregon would adore Paul, and if Greg Oden would ever get health... well, right, forget it, that will never happen.

6) Boston. Would the Celtics really run Rajon Rondo off, and dismantle a team that flicked the switch so effectively in the playoffs, just to upgrade to a point guard that can hit a jump shot? You'd have to think no, but maybe Danny Ainge remembers the team that looked so bad for much of the second half, and Paul could give the team some much-needed juice and a crunch time player. It's not likely, but since no off-season speculation can avoid 'em, here they are...

5) Clippers. Stop me if you've heard this one before: the Clips bring in a brittle but exciting point guard to completely change the culture of the team. Hell, maybe they can ship out Baron Davis in the package for CP3, and have him do funny Web videos with Steve Nash. There's a reason why the Clips are the NBA's version of Groundhog Day.

4) San Antonio. Are they ready to move on from Tony Parker, and reload like mad for the sunset years of Tim Duncan? If they are, count on the Spurs to get a great deal for him, and for the Hornets to take back young talent that was drafted late and will never look as good away from Gregg Popovich. But at least Parker would get to speak a little French, and put up the cheap Fantasy numbers and heavy minutes that are his destiny.

3) Dallas. Does Mark Cuban really want to watch Jason Kidd age, or put the entire franchise in the hands of some untested Frenchie? They do have $20 million in expiring contracts, young talent to send back to the Bugs, and the past history that shows that they'll roll the dice. Plus, CP3 will enjoy being a high seed that always loses in the first round, and if he hangs out with Dirk Nowitzki long enough, maybe he can have his own criminal mistress. Good times!

2) Orlando. The rumor here is that the Hornets would package poison pill contract Emeka Okafor with Paul to the Magic for the can't get him out of here fast enough Vince Carter, Martin Gortat (paid too much for bench work, and really quite capable of being a starter), and poor man's CP3 Jameer Nelson. The trade actually works on a basketball level for the Hornets, until you are actually in a game that the other team wants to win, and you are relying on Carter. As for the Magic, Paul would make Dwight Howard look like he's got an actual offensive game -- remember when CP3 made Tyson Chandler look good? -- and the Heat-Magic games would be downright intriguing. There are worse ideas.

1) New York. The plan is for Paul to join Amar'e Stoudamire and the year away from free agency Carmelo Anthony in New York, where they'd form the latest Power Trio to rival the Celtics and Heat. In Manhattan, they'd all get paid, have the fervent devotion of a city that actually cares about hoop, and have an offense-only coach that believes in up-tempo, Phoenix-style stat pumping. And if it happens, the NBA can contract to four teams in each conference, so we can finally have the league of super groups that we were promised. Or something.