So Britt Robson, over at Inside the NBA, wrote about his thoughts on the state of the Hornets, and a potential fire sale in New Orleans. 

He surmises that if rookie Darren Collison proves himself a competent floor general, that coupled with him making $12.3 million dollars less then CP3, majority owner George Shinn may be forced to make a move to save money in light of serious financial hardships in one of the smallest markets in the country.

So his comments got me thinking ... how in the heck NY can take advantage of the situation and land CP3 with this roster!

Running the numbers, it seems that by moving Eddy Curry ($10.5, 2yrs), Wilson Chandler ($1.2, 2yrs + team options) & Cuttino Mobley ($9.5, 1yr), while taking in Chris Paul ($13.5, 4yr) and Emeka Okafor ($10.7, 6yr) this unlikely scenario actually becomes possible under the cap rules. 

New Orleans, while losing a superstar player in CP3, would save $12.563 mill this season because an insurance company is paying Mobley's contract due to his health condition, and they would save around $43 million dollars over the next 5 years by shedding Okafor's long term deal for Curry's short term one. 

Now here comes the 2010 cap space issue!

New York is currently about $30.315 mill over the $57.7 million dollar cap, that's a payroll of $88.015 million dollars. Thanks to moves by Donnie Walsh, NY will shed $57,753,943 million dollars, or there abouts. That purging of 7 expiring contracts creates about $30,261,593 million dollars in cap room, which is nice but not enough to sign two $20 million dollar a year players, which is what a Lebron James/Dwayne Wade go for these days.

Now if NYK did the deal with NO, then that brings in $24.318 million dollars (2 players) while moving $21.255 million (3 players) over to the Hornets. That means NY just subtracted $3.063 million from their cap room, now totaling $27.198 million dollars. Not enough to sign both Lebron and Bosh but hey NY got CP3 in the deal so a pairing of LBJ & CP3 is even better then a pairing of LBJ & CB4.

Now assuming NY manages this trade with New Orleans, how do they create even more cap room for 2010??? Well with the trade for CP3 a done deal that makes Emeka Okafor the player that must be moved; so with that in mind lets examine the Houston Rockets. 

With the Rockets intent on moving T-Mac's $22.8 million dollar expiring contract, and in serious need of a center with Yao injured, the Knicks and 27 year old Emeka Okafor (who is always healthy) seem like potential trade partners. New York can move Okafor and Larry Hughes ($13.6mill, 1yr), both players that play good defense, which is something Houston head coach Rick Adelman stresses, and Houston can finally be done with T-Mac and his disruptive presence.

Now switching T-Mac's expiring contract for Okafor's long term deal should raise the Knicks cap space from $27.1 million to about $39.2 million dollars. That kind of cap room is more then enough to land LBJ & CB4.  

I know what you all are thinking. This man is crazy!!! Maybe so! But hey crazier things have happened, just examine the list below vvv

Crazy Trades

1. Pau to Lakers for Brown.

2. 2 Lottery picks traded away for Eddy Curry by Thomas

3. 2 Lottery picks traded away for Stephon Marbury by Thomas

4. Kobe Bryant traded on draft night by Charlotte to Lakers

Crazy stuff happens I tell ya!!!