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Paul Millsap Trade Rumors: 10 NBA Teams That Should Trade For Him

By Gerald Bourguet

Oct 29, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) shoots from the foul line during the third quarter of the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Atlanta Hawks won 104-72. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) shoots from the foul line during the third quarter of the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Atlanta Hawks won 104-72. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports /
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Paul Millsap trade rumors
Dec 19, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives to the basket in front of Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

As currently constructed, the Oklahoma City Thunder are basically just the Russell Westbrook Show. As entertaining as it is, this team is not built for a playoff run past the second round. Putting Paul Millsap alongside Steven Adams in the frontcourt could very quickly change that.

While it obviously wouldn’t elevate them to title contender status as in the good old Kevin Durant days, it’d be a step in the right direction to reassure Westbrook this team is still committed to competing for championships.

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    • Russ loves Enes Kanter, but his defensive deficiencies may always limit him to a role of super sixth man. Luckily, it’s a role Kanter has thrived in recently, averaging 16.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game over his last seven contests.

    With Kanter’s value on the rise, the Thunder should get him and the remaining $17.8 million of his contract (plus a possible $18.2 million player option for 2018-19) off the books while they can — especially if the return is a legitimate difference-maker in the starting lineup like Millsap.

    No offense to the promising Domantas Sabonis, but he’s not a starting-caliber player for a playoff team yet. Millsap would be a huge upgrade on both ends of the floor, and though the Thunder wouldn’t be favored against Golden State or San Antonio, they could make life more difficult and establish a nucleus of Russ, Millsap, Adams and Oladipo to build upon.

    For the Hawks, they’d be getting a super sixth man to play behind Dwight Howard, and even though he’s currently injured, Cameron Payne is a young, tantalizing backup point guard who would play behind Schroder once he returns.

    Unfortunately, the Thunder are pretty much spent on available cap space since extending Adams and Oladipo a few months back, so even with Millsap’s Bird Rights, that’d be a tricky proposition. A return of Kanter and Payne also might not be enough for Atlanta, even if it addresses a couple of needs.

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