Thunder Unlikely to Trade Chris Paul Before the Start of the Season

Chris Paul with Houston in 2018
Chris Paul with Houston in 2018. Photo by Jevone Moore/Cal Sport Media/CSM/REX/Shutterstock (9322723aq)

It seems like point guard Chris Paul is staying with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the time being. Although Thunder explored trade options for Paul in the recent days, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the 34-year-old will start the season with OKC after all.

After Thunder acquire Paul in a trade that sent All-Star Russell Westbrook to Houston  Rockets, the organization began working with the player and his representatives in order to find a suitable trade for both sides. However, as the most NBA teams lost flexibility due to free agency deals, getting the deal done became highly unlikely.

Considering these circumstances, both Chris Paul and Oklahoma City agreed that it would be better to wait until December 15th when NBA teams can trade players they’ve signed this offseason. Another problem the Thunder faced during the talks was that Paul’s big contract which pays him $124 million in the next three years.

It is also possible that Paul plays out 2019/20 NBA season with the Thunder as the organization believes he could provide valuable mentorship to their young guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Paul played 58 games with the Rockets this past season, averaging 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 2.0 steals per game.

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