Miami Heat: Pros and cons of a potential Chris Paul trade

Cons

Age and injury history

At 34 and with over 37,000 career minutes under his belt, Chris Paul’s timeline as a highly effective, game-changing point guard is rapidly shortening. Furthermore, it’s his recent injury history that would have alarm bells ringing for any prospective team.

Over his past three seasons, Paul has missed 69 regular-season games, primarily due to recurring soft-tissue injuries.

The most notable occurrence came in Game 5 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals, when Paul came down with a hamstring injury in the dying stages of the Rockets’ win.

Leading 3-2 in the series, Paul’s untimely injury was ultimately a key factor in the Rockets losing in seven games to the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

Given his troublesome hamstring flared again this past season, having supreme confidence that Paul can remain healthy and stay on the court is of obvious concern to any interested team.

Contract

Ultimately, this is the most defining factor in any trade discussions centered around Paul. With three years and $124 million remaining on his current contract signed in the summer of 2018, Paul will be earning a whopping $44.2 million in the final year of the deal.

Falling efficiency

The 2018-19 season represented by far the most dramatic drop off in Paul’s efficiency from the field. A career 46.9 percent shooter from the field, Paul shot a career-low 41.9 percent from the field, with his 35.8 percent return from 3-point range the lowest mark since the 2012-13 season.

Most notably, it was Paul’s inefficiency in finishing close to the rim that stood out the most.

Having shot at no lower than a 60.1 percent clip from within five feet of the rim over the past three seasons, Paul converted at just a 52.9 percent clip from this range, with the combination of age and injury a highly likely contributor to this decline.