And what I mean by that is every year, one of his top players is a free agent. He made 55.4 percent of his two-point field goal attempts, his highest mark ever. What if a young team looking to jump to the standings like the Phoenix Suns made a push for Paul? remember that alley-oop dunk he threw down? The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off an impressive season that ended with the fifth seed in the Western Conference. George’s trade request to Los Angeles blew the whole thing up and positioned the franchise for a total rebuild. There was a group of impressive young perimeter players in the West waiting for their turn. Oklahoma City was able to strong arm Houston into surrendering first-round picks in 2024 and 2026 (both 1-4 protected), along with pick swaps in 2021 and 2025. It’s another bummer ending for CP3 in the playoffs, but his season should be viewed as nothing but an incredible success. The common denominator is Chris Paul.'”. In no particular order that group […], The Chicago Bulls have been on the outside looking into the playoffs over the past couple of years. 1 seeds (the Bucks and Lakers) in each conference. So now, you have Chris Paul coming in who’s already established and his contract is taken care of; you have Steven Adams who’s there, his contract is established he’s already taken care of; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – and the thing we know about Billy Donovan is he knows how to connect with young players. Paul hadn’t made the All-Star team since 2016. When considering the landscape fo the Western Conference, the Thunder will look to undergo a rebuild centered around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. With Paul already being 35-years-old, it should be legitimate title contenders that look to execute a trade for him more than any other type of potential landing spot. There were rumors connecting Paul to the Miami Heat for weeks. That should only make Thunder fans more curious why it was Gallinari taking (and missing) a free throw that could have cut the deficit to one point with one second left in Game 7. Chris Paul proved he’s still one of the NBA’s best players with the Thunder. Even if Randle and Smith go in a package, the Knicks would still be bottled up cap-wise in the summer of 2021 with Paul… “He holds you accountable. Christopher Emmanuel Paul Twitter: CP3 (CP3, The Point God, The Skate Instructor) Position: Point Guard Shoots: Right 6-1, 175lb (185cm, 79kg) Team: Oklahoma City Thunder. Critics will hold Paul’s lack of playoff success against him, but the reality is he dragged a Thunder team no one thought would even make the postseason to a Game 7 and nearly won it. You’re not a back-to-back NCAA Champion by accident. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Butler listed three teams: New York Knicks, Brooklyn […], When assessing the leagues top echelon as it currently stands, the top six players in the modern game are as close to universally agreed upon as they can be. (0:18) ... MORE: Biggest trade, free agency and draft decisions for every eliminated NBA team. Oklahoma City was seen as a fringe championship contender in the 2018-2019 season with Paul George locked up to a new contract extension and Westbrook coming off two straight seasons where he averaged a triple-double. The draft capitol that changed hands in the Westbrook-for-Paul swap offered further proof of how Paul was no longer considered an asset, at least not on that contract. By almost any definition, Paul was one of the best players in the NBA this year. “Because I was blessed to play with CP in New Orleans and I tell people constantly, ‘He’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever seen.’ And he had an opportunity to go to Oklahoma City this year and completely recreate his image. It sure seemed like Paul’s days as an All-Star were behind him coming into the season. on Los Angeles Clippers: Are We Sure Trading for Jimmy Butler is Smart? Miami could remain a suitor as well if they fall short this year, though it’s likely the team will want to keep its salary cap space open for Antetokounmpo in the summer of 2021. Regardless, Paul should have immense value league-wide after his run with the Thunder this year, and that makes him one of the most interesting potential pieces to move during the offseason. This was the first time – because I was with Oklahoma City previously the first 4 years prior to coming to New Orleans this year. Under head coach, Billy Donovan, CP3 helped guide the Thunder to a 44-28 record and fifth place finish in the NBA’s Western Conference standings. Following the deal that sent Paul George to the Clippers, the Thunder’s move for Paul was obviously less about the player and more about the future assets. No one would have guessed OKC would be even better this year, but that’s exactly what happened. Chris Paul is far from washed, and he proved it this year. The Thunder’s season is now over with a last second loss to the Rockets in Game 7 of their first round playoff series. Oklahoma City won 61.1 percent of their games this season and finished with the No. — but he was also so much more than that. Credit Oklahoma City for acquiring a proven shooter in the front court in Danilo Gallinari and one of the best young guards in the game in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. As a result, Paul could very well be on the move in the trade market— making him one of the top available talents in the league. on Milwaukee Bucks: Evaluating Giannis Antetokounmpo’s MVP Candidacy. The Philadelphia 76ers would be another great fit for Paul. Your email address will not be published. Think about what was ‘perceived’ about Chris Paul… because remember in Lob City, it was DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin and you know, well they don’t get along well with Chris Paul. College: Wake Forest Instead, the Thunder were good-not-great all season and saw their campaign end in the first round on an iconic Damian Lillard shot. There should be no shortage of teams interested in his services. Paul began the season with three years and $125 million remaining on his contract. A critical element of that success was Chris Paul’s presence as a floor general— resulting in earning an All-NBA Second Team nomination.
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