Getty Chris Paul
Golden State Warriors injured backup point guard Chris Paul has drawn interest from a play-in contender in the Eastern Conference.
According to Action Network’s Matt Moore, the Orlando Magic have Paul and another veteran guard on their radar with the February 8 trade deadline just a few days away.
“The Magic have been on this track for over a year, looking for long-term help at point guard. They were involved in talks last year for Fred VanVleet before the Raptors held onto him (and subsequently lost him in free agency). Orlando has kicked around every potential option on the board, and the latest interest involves two veterans: Kyle Lowry and Chris Paul, according to sources,” Moore reported on February 3.
After a hot start to the season, the Magic have cooled off. They are currently no. 8 in the East with a 26-23 record.
Moore added, “Details of talks aren’t known, but Jonathan Isaac and Moses Moody are players each team has interest in for a potential deal.”
Paul, 38, is currently recovering from a second metacarpal fracture of his left hand. He was cleared to begin light on-court individual workouts with a splint on his hand five days ago. The Warriors medical staff will re-evaluate him before the All-Star break.
On the other hand, Moody is a lot closer than Paul to returning to action.
Moody, who suffered a grade 1 strain of his left calf on January 10 against the New Orleans, had rejoined the Warriors practice. Before the injury, 21-year-old Moody scored back-to-back 21 points against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Toronto Raptors.
Steve Kerr Expects Chris Paul to Remain With Warriors
While trade rumors are swirling around the Warriors because of their struggles, coach Steve Kerr remained steadfast in his belief that they can right the ship with their current roster.
“We’re not going to find better players than those guys [Chris Paul and Gary Payton II] in a trade,” Kerr said 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs” show on January 31. “It’s exceedingly rare to make a deal where you can upgrade your talent to that level. I’m excited about getting those guys back. Moses [Moody] too. We’ve been shorthanded these last couple of weeks, but all three of those guys can really help us for sure.”
Payton II had been out since early January with a hamstring injury. Aside from Paul, Andrew Wiggins was also the subject of relentless trade rumors.
“I think a deal is almost always unlikely. That doesn’t mean a deal won’t happen,” Kerr continued. “The fact is, most trade deadlines, not much happens. You just try to do the best you can with what’s happening at that particular time with the team, and that’s what we are doing right now. I think we are getting better.
“I know we had two really tough losses this week, but I like the direction our team is trending, and I like the guys who are coming back off of injury.”
The Warriors lost Wiggins to a foot injury in their overtime loss in Atlanta on Saturday, February 3, where Stephen Curry’s season-high 60 points went down the drain.
Kerr later said X-rays came out negative on Wiggin’s foot. His timetable for return is still unknown.