Hoops Habit
Fansided

Houston Rockets: Reflecting back on the Russell Westbrook-Chris Paul trade

By James Mueller

HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 28: Chris Paul #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks to pass as Chris Paul #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder defends at Toyota Center on October 28, 2019 in Houston, Texas.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 28: Chris Paul #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks to pass as Chris Paul #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder defends at Toyota Center on October 28, 2019 in Houston, Texas.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Houston Rockets Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images
Houston Rockets Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images /

Why the OKC Thunder won the trade

While the Russell Westbrook and the Rockets got the better of Chris Paul and the Thunder in the playoffs, Oklahoma City was the big winner of this trade for many reasons.

First, ESPN’s BPI gave the Thunder a 0.2 percent chance of making the playoffs at the beginning of the season but Oklahoma City defied the odds and finished with the fifth-best record in the Western Conference. Even though the Thunder would fail to make it past the first round of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, the season as a whole was a massive success.

Another reason is the mentorship Paul brought to the team, especially on the young guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander, who is a rising star in the NBA, took a big step forward this season thanks to Paul’s guidance.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder in scoring, averaging 19 points per game, which was eight points more than he averaged last year with the Clippers. The young guard also doubled his rebounds from 2.8 boards per game during his rookie season to 5.9 this year with OKC. Paul’s mentorship on Gilgeous-Alexander can not be quantified by a number but it certainly played a major role in how much the young superstar developed and evolved his game in just one season.

But perhaps the biggest reason why OKC won the trade is because of Paul’s trade value. Despite the 35-year-old being owed more than $85 million over the next two seasons, there are many teams that are interested in acquiring the veteran point guard. This is huge for Sam Presti in the Thunder because not only would they be able to clear cap space by trading away Paul but they also could add to their young core and acquire more draft picks to make the team’s future appear even brighter than it already is.

Home/Houston Rockets