Chris Paul was going to the Lakers, but the NBA blocked the trade. Then, Chris Paul was going to the Clippers. The NBA blocked that trade, too. So it’s not surprising that CP3 is feeling a bit frustrated at this point.

Apparently he’s frustrated enough to consider legal action.

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News is reporting that Paul is “moving closer” to a lawsuit against the league, charging that the NBA has violated the collective bargaining agreement’s anti-collusion clause.

Is that likely to work? I asked attorney and hoops blogger Jamie O’Grady for his take:

“I don’t think he has grounds for a suit,” he said. “The league is not colluding, per se, to restrict his movement. Rather, there’s a legitimate argument that the NBA is protecting its brand by ensuring the welfare of one of its franchises. Sometimes the threat of legal action has more teeth than a likelihood of success on a claim’s merits. In my opinion, this is leverage and posturing by his agents, nothing more.”

Of course, the NBPA used a similar tactic during the lockout, which may have helped generate a number of concessions from the league. And Paul is a member of the union’s executive committee.

I don’t think this one will see the inside of a court room any time soon.

Jamie O’Grady is a securities lawyer and keeper of The LoHud Knicks Blog.