Getty Chris Paul
It appears the Oklahoma City Thunder may not be done wheeling and dealing after sending Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets on Thursday. While the team added veteran guard Chris Paul in the Westbrook deal, along with multiple draft picks, his future in Oklahoma City remains up in the air.
As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported, the Rockets were hoping to find a third team for Paul in the blockbuster deal. And one team to watch as an option for CP3 is the Miami Heat.
Houston hoped to find third-team destination preferable to Chris Paul, but ultimately leaves it OKC to execute next step once Presti confers w/ CP3 agent Leon Rose. Miami remains possibility for Paul (3 years, $124M) — and OKC obviously has picks to incentivize deal, if needed.
This comes shortly after the Thunder received Paul, two first-round picks and two pick swaps from the Rockets in exchange for Westbrook, per Wojnarowski. Although Paul’s immediate outlook is in question, there may also be the potential for a buyout if Oklahoma City can’t find him a new home. But many things remain up in the air, and we’re going to take a look at a few possible trade options for the 34-year-old guard if he’s dealt again.
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Chris Paul Trade: Heat, Pistons Among Top Fits
As Wojnarowski points out above, it appears the Heat are still in the mix to add another playmaker, and Paul could be a good fit. His contract, which features three years and $124 million remaining may be an issue for a number of teams, but Miami appears locked in on adding another big name next to Jimmy Butler.
Goran Dragic’s contract which includes a cap hit of more than $19.217 million next season (per Spotrac) could be on the move. It would make sense for the Thunder, as it’s the final year of his deal, and adding a player on an expiring deal should be appealing.
Going beyond the Heat, it’s hard to argue that there aren’t a number of other potential suitors who would have some level of interest in Paul. Among them may be the Detroit Pistons, who were rumored to be a team with interest in adding a point guard throughout the offseason. With that said, they did sign Derrick Rose, who’ll surely see decent minutes, but Reggie Jackson could be a player on the move if Paul is brought to town.
Timberwolves & Magic Trade Options for Chris Paul
After hearing rumblings that Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns was attempting to help the team lure free agents this offseason, it brought plenty of attention. But while the team failed to acquire any head-turning names, adding Paul via trade would create an interesting situation for the Timberwolves.
Jeff Teague has played well in recent seasons, but Paul would be a solid fit with Towns, although the situation with Andrew Wiggins could be one to watch. There are only so many shots to go around if Wiggins remains in town, and an offensive scheme focused heavily around CP3 and Towns would be fun to watch.
The Orlando Magic are set to roll D.J. Augustin out at point guard, but the 31-year-old is heading into the final year of his deal. Orlando also acquired former Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz via trade last year, but his timeline to return to the court is a major unknown at this point.
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Chris Paul Trade: Timberwolves, Magic Headline Underrated Options