On one hand the Hornets say that they will not trade Chris Paul. On the other hand they say they would trade Paul as long as the other team takes back center Emeka Okafor too. It’s no mystery that the owner of the Hornets is in financial trouble and that could lead to them trading some veterans. Darren Collison did step up last season while Paul was injured but it’s quite another animal to replace him forever. I did think the Hornets pulled off a good trade on draft day when they moved center Cole Aldrich and veteran forward Morris Peterson to the Thunder for rookie forwards Craig Brackins and Quincy Pondexter who both have nice upsides. It will be interesting to see if the Hornets can pare payroll while still competing. It’s a fine line to walk.