Philadelphia 76ers: What a trade for Chris Paul might look like
By Duncan Smith
Does this trade work for the OKC Thunder?
The OKC Thunder have already established an intention to go full-speed into a rebuild. Having their vast array of draft assets and a surprise playoff appearance under their belt will surely assuage the pain of what will likely be a brief decline in competitiveness.
Trading Chris Paul to the Philadelphia 76ers would remove their best ball-handler, but they have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder waiting in the wings to replace him. Acquiring Horford would replace Danilo Gallinari, who is likely to depart in free agency in the hopes of jumping on with a team that has championship aspirations.
Josh Richardson and Matisse Thybulle are both strong defenders who can play against a variety of guards and wings, and a lottery-protected 2021 first-round pick could be a valuable asset indeed considering how much stronger next year’s draft class is expected to be than the class of 2020.
It’s worth noting that Tobias Harris could be swapped into Horford’s spot if the Thunder wanted to acquire a younger player with more offensive upside, and the Thunder would likely prefer that option (and the Sixers would probably not, but would likely acquiesce if it was a deal-breaker).