The Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder agreed to a blockbuster deal on Tuesday which will see future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul move west.
The teams agreed to a mega-deal which will see Chris Paul move from the Thunder along with F Abdel Nader to the Suns in exchange for Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and a 2022 first-round pick.
This move is a clear sign that the Suns are looking to contend in the 2020-21 season and that they have real ambitions to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign.
Phoenix acquires one of the best point guards in the league who, at the age of 34 averaged 17.6 points and 6.7 assists per game along with excellent efficiency.
The Thunder, on the other hand, will look to retool and rebuild for the future with the package that they acquired in the deal. Oubre and the 2022 first-round pick are the biggest pieces in the deal, with the Thunder acquiring one of the league’s bright young talents. Oubre averaged 18.7 points per game last season.
Rubio looks set to fill in for Paul as the team’s starting point guard, while Ty Jerome and Jalen Lecque are young players who saw minimal playing time for Phoenix last year.
This trade should have a huge impact in the Western Conference race and could signal the Suns’ return to playoff and title contention.
