The buzz continues to grow about the possibility of Chris Paul being traded.

That means the Mavs will continue the efforts they’ve been making with the Hornets for at least the last year and a half.

When I wrote last spring about the possibility of Paul coming to Dallas, folks in the Big Easy either snickered or fumed. No way the Hornets would ever deal their franchise player, they said.

They’ve been right so far. The Mavs’ persistent efforts to appeal to notorious cheapskate owner George Shinn’s pursestrings made no progress. The Hornets never bit on the Mavs’ offer of a batch of expiring contracts/buyouts for Paul and whichever two contracts New Orleans wanted to get rid of most.

But what happens if Paul decides to try to force his way out of town? We might find out soon, as he has made it clear that he wants out if the Hornets aren’t committed to building a contender. New Orleans' maneuvering so far this offseason has been to get under the luxury tax, not improve Paul’s supporting cast.

Of course, even if Paul successfully pushed for a deal, there’s definitely no guarantee that Dallas would be his destination. Portland, New Jersey and Orlando have reportedly aggressively pursued trade discussions with the Hornets. The Mavs, whose best trade asset is Erick Dampier’s evaporating $13 million salary, would have a tough time putting together a trade package with as much basketball value as those teams.

But don’t underestimate the ability of Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson to get creative, perhaps engineering a multi-team deal that would make dollars and at least some basketball sense for the Hornets.

This is a pie-in-the-sky deal for Dallas. It’s the best possible scenario this summer, barring a stunning decision by LeBron James or Dwyane Wade to force a sign-and-trade deal to Dallas.

How would Paul fit with the Mavs? The 25-year-old MVP candidate obviously would take control of the offense away from 37-year-old Jason Kidd, but the Olympic teammates ought to be able to co-exist together well. Kidd, who needs his minutes slashed anyway, could see significant minutes at shooting guard. His spot-up 3-point shooting and ability to defend wings are two of his biggest strengths at this point of his career.

The pick-and-pop partnership of Paul and Dirk Nowitzki would be a pleasure to watch. All those wide-open looks Paul has been giving David West would go to the sweetest shooting power forward in NBA history.

Again, this is all pie-in-the-sky stuff at this point. But Dallas has been working on the recipe for almost two years, and things could heat up if Paul pushes the Hornets management into the kitchen.