Report: Chris Paul wants trade, Knicks top list

Star point guard Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets is asking the team to trade him prior to the start of the season. The Hornets, who finished 37-45 this season, have only finished above .500 twice and made the playoffs twice with Paul. Paul, 25, is ready to end the losing and has demanded to be traded by giving the Hornets a list of teams he would like to be traded to.

The 4th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft by New Orleans, Paul has been one of the premier players in the NBA. A three-time All-Star, Paul scores an average of 19.3 points per game, including an 18.7 PPG average this season. During the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons, Paul scored an average of 21.1 and 22.8 PPG, respectively, before the drawback this season.

Among Paul's trade list are the New York Knicks, who rank first on his list, followed by the Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trailblazers in the top four. Paul, who has made it no secret that he wants to play with Amare Stoudemire in New York, is ready for a chance to win. The plan is that the Denver Nuggets' SF Carmelo Anthony will reject a contract to return to Denver next free agency period and join Stoudemire and Paul in New York to form the next "Big Three" that would challenge the Big Three of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.

ESPN reports that, "Those guys want to beat the three guys in Miami," a source close to the situation said. A report Wednesday on CBSSports.com said Paul saw what James did in signing to play alongside Wade and Bosh and has designs on doing something similar."

Also, they report that, "the Hornets have scheduled a face-to-face sitdown with Paul for Monday in New Orleans, sources with knowledge of the meeting told ESPN.com's Marc Stein" and that "Paul's demands come in the immediate aftermath of a Hornets overhaul within the coaching staff and front office."

This is going to be a very interesting week and will make for the one of the greatest off-seasons ever if "CP3," as his Twitter name suggests, is traded to the Knicks. New York sports radio has been talking about the subject all day and many Knick fans are excited at the possibility of having their own Big Three.