NBA

Hornets’ Paul could be next up for grabs

Monty Williams doesn’t know about any toast made by Chris Paul at Carmelo Anthony’s wedding last summer to their potential future together in New York. The Hornets coach only raises his glass to the Dom Perignon of point guards.

“Chris is either the most efficient or second most efficient player in the NBA,” Williams said. “LeBron (James) might be first, but to put [Paul] in that class says how good he is.

“He is the standard for the point guard position. If he is not on the All-Defensive team this year, they got the whole thing messed up. He doesn’t run from a matchup, switches on [Dwyane] Wade, on Kobe [Bryant], on anybody to take the challenge.”

Much like Paul took on the last shot in overtime last night, even at the end of his brutal, seven-turnover, 4-for-15 shooting night. The ball seemed to stay in the cylinder until 2012, when Paul is scheduled to become a free agent, before spinning back out and sending the Hornets to a sixth loss in seven games, 103-101 to the Nets, their point guard not blaming his bum ankle, but himself.

“I feel this is my loss,” he said. “The turnovers, the shots, the decision-making down the stretch. I’m frustrated with my bad decisions.”

The chances of the Knicks’ Donnie Walsh or the Nets’ Billy King living to say that about having lured Paul to New York are even more unlikely than his two turnovers last night in overtime.

On a bad night, on a bad knee and ankle, he still had 11 assists, still played all but 2:19 of the game. And still was a guy whose ability to make Amar’e Stoudemire or Carmelo Anthony better than Paul can currently make Marco Belinelli and Willie Green cannot be oversold, just as Paul likely cannot be oversold on opportunities in New York.

“You’re talking about probably the best scorer in the league [Anthony] going to a team with Amar’e and Raymond Felton,” he said, leaving out Stage Three, when he turns the Knicks into Heat North, provided they haven’t already robbed Peter in their package for Anthony before they can pay Paul.

If the Knicks, who don’t have a first-round pick to trade before 2014, can’t save or reacquire some trade chips to match an offer by the Nets, the best thing the Knicks look to be able to offer would be Felton and his expiring contract. No disrespect to the gritty Felton, he is not Chris Paul.

“He is so crafty,” Nets coach Avery Johnson said. “He breaks all your defenses down.”

The Hornets, being operated by the NBA, have met their 14,735-per-game ticket sales requirement to bind them to their lease until 2014. But with Paul’s sidekick David West, who had 32 points last night, likely out the door this summer, Paul is bound to be another Carmelo-in-limbo this time next year.

“I can’t worry about a year from now,” Paul said. “I got a son, am getting married this summer. I got a lot more things in my life than thinking about next summer.

“During the summer [he and Anthony] were talking, having fun. Guys just want to win and are trying to figure out any opportunity they have. People fail to realize it’s less about the money and more about winning. Sometimes it’s overlooked those [Miami] guys gave up a lot of money to play together on one team.”

Sounds like a plan.

jay.greenberg@nypost.com