Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press
Chris Paul’s days with the Oklahoma City Thunder are numbered. The team is about to plunge into a top-to-bottom rebuild, which is the last way a (ring-less) 35-year-old future Hall of Famer wants to spend his twilight years.
Any contender with a less-than-elite option at point guard should be looking to facilitate his escape from the Sooner State. His contract is admittedly atrocious ($85.6 million for his age-35 and -36 seasons), but that should mean his trade cost is clearance-priced. If a second-tier prospect or mid-first-round pick could anchor an exchange, that’s absurd value for someone who still grades out as elite.
In 2019-20, he was one of only 10 players to average 17 points, six assists and five rebounds. He ranked fifth in ESPN’s real plus-minus and ninth in win shares. He collected MVP votes and landed an All-NBA second-team spot.
He can transform a team, just like he did with the Thunder. He makes all the sense in the world for the Milwaukee Bucks, though they’re reportedly balking at his contract price, per The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Eric Nehm. But if taking on the money shows a commitment to chasing championships and convinces Giannis Antetokounmpo to ink a super-max, few dollars would ever be better spent.
The Philadelphia 76ers need more playmaking, shooting and leadership. Paul could check all three boxes. The Los Angeles Clippers could be a floor general away from a title. A reunion with CP3 might seal the deal. The Phoenix Suns are in hot pursuit, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps, and while Paul probably wouldn’t turn them into a 2020-21 contender, he could snap their playoff drought and make them a tricky matchup.
Nearly every trade route would have Paul impacting next season’s playoff picture if not the championship race. The lone exception might be a reunion with his former agent, Leon Rose, on the New York Knicks, and even then, he’d be changing the culture of the most recognizable team in the country’s biggest market.
A CP3 trade will be a big, big deal whenever it goes down.
All stats courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA.
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