I know some of you still had that lingering twinkle of hope that Chris Paul might land in Charlotte somehow. I even posted an fanpost recently of how it was financially within the realm of possibility to land Paul and Howard, knowing full well the rediculousness of it all.

Most recent sources have Paul most likely landing up in Golden State or LA (Clippers), not New York or Lakers. Although, technically, Paul could leave anywhere he's traded after the season anyway, sources indicate he'd be willing to sign long term deals with the Clips (to play alongside Griffin) or to the Warriors if they signed Chandler.

Boston is also still a key player, although personally I'd rather have Rondo to compete against Deron Williams night in and night out. The thing is, none of the potential teams can outright trade for Chris Paul without going over the cap. New Orleans is adamant about not taking on any bad contracts, and why should they? These teams are going to have to find a third partner with cap space, or they're going to have to amnesty someone (I'm looking at you Andres Beidrins) that they perhaps wouldn't have considered before.

How do the Bobcats fit into this? Well, frankly, we have a team with cap space and a fairly valuable expiring in Boris Diaw (who, probably knowing he'll be traded this season, has been working "hard" in France, presumably to get himself an extension). There could be some very feasible and tantalizing deals for the Bobcats. For example: This Trade

Throw in a draft pick each to NO and GS from Charlotte and this is a trade that works for all parties. Although NO has expressed interest in gaining Curry over Ellis, I imagine adding Kemba Walker would sway their opinion. If you assume Chandler's gonna get the 15 million he wants, then the Warriors have to clear up even more space (they still need 5 roster slots filled after signing their rookies.) I don't see Beidrins getting 9 million again, but for the sake of argument, let's say he does. That puts the Warriors at 60 million with those 5 slots still left. That means David Lee has to go, but they need compensation. The Warriors are a totally different team with a core of Chandler, Paul, Tyrus and two pretty good rookies. NO gets Thompson who they've coveted and another PG with franchise potential in Walker and a buttload of cap space, especially after Boris expires.

Now this is just one example of one team who is interested in Paul. The Clippers could work too, but they have shown in the past little to no regard for the luxury tax, so they may not even need a third party. Obviously, there are plenty of other teams aside from the Bobcats that could work well as a third team as well. That's the point though, this one trade of Chris Paul could have huge ripples across the NBA.