While Chris Paul has not appeared to back off his trade request, he will give the Hornets the chance to convince him to do so. According to ESPN's Marc Stein, Paul will meet with Hornets president Hugh Webber, new GM Dell Demps and new head coach Monty Williams and hear out their vision for building a contender.
The Hornets, the sources said, will be represented by team president Hugh Weber, general manager Dell Demps and coach Monty Williams, with the hope that Paul -- once he has his first extended conversation with the new GM and coach -- will give the Hornets' new basketball decision-makers an opportunity to sell him on their plan to improve the roster.
If they are not presented with realistic scenarios that convince Paul that New Orleans can build a contender very quickly, he'll ask the club to begin speaking to the Knicks, Magic, Mavericks and Trail Blazers about possible trades.
If I were the Hornets brass, I would talk about how the team is suddenly flushed with decent assets, in the form of a couple expiring contracts (Peja Stojakovic and Darius Songaila ) and promising young players (Darren Collison, Marcus Thornton and 2010 picks Craig Brackins and Quincy Pondexter). The team could conceivably put together a fairly enticing trade package to get a disgruntled star that's also looking to move, so long as they're willing to take on some long-term salary.