Milwaukee Bucks: Analyzing Chris Paul as a realistic trade target
Why the Milwaukee Bucks and Chris Paul should have mutual interest
Chris Paul has never been to an NBA Finals and still has strong desire of winning an NBA championship in the late stages of his illustrious career. As a 35-year-old entering his 16th NBA season, time is running out for the future Hall of Fame point guard to add a championship to his very well-respected resume.
The Milwaukee Bucks need a trusted, effective, high IQ guard that can help them reach the ultimate goal toward glory while overcoming their postseason slump under head coach Mike Budenholzer, and Chris Paul can most certainly fill that void. In addition, it’s likely that Paul would have no problem playing with the Bucks.
According to Ryen Russillo of The Ringer, Chris Paul wanted to be traded to Milwaukee before ultimately being sent to Oklahoma City from Houston in July of 2019. On ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski’s podcast, The Woj Pod, Russillo stated, “I had heard he wanted to go to Milwaukee. Of course, you’d want to go play with Giannis.”
There should still be interest from Paul to join the Bucks since he has made it crystal clear that he still wants to win, per a report from Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman would add, “Some NBA sources believe Paul would feel blessed to be on a winning club such as the Bucks.”
It’s almost as if the Milwaukee Bucks are destined to be the next destination for Chris Paul. Bucks’ general manager Jon Horst should be licking his chops over the idea of having a player of CP3’s caliber join this talented team since he could simply be the missing piece to their title aspirations.
Despite Paul’s contributions serving as an ideal fit in Milwaukee though, the main concerns surrounding a trade for him would include the financial implications and some would argue that his substantial personality could interfere with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s style of leadership. However, Bucks’ co-owner Marc Lasry reportedly stated that the Bucks are willing to spend into the luxury tax while Giannis seems to be intrigued by the idea of playing alongside Chris Paul.
Paul’s strong personality should not be a reason to shy away from pursuing a player of his caliber and it can also be worked through, but the remaining two-years, $85.5 million on his contract would be a valid concern and one that doesn’t seem to be worked around. The financial implications of acquiring Paul and his hefty contract could be the deciding factor for teams to pull away from negotiations for him, especially with the salary cap and other finances at stake due to the effects of COVID-19.
The Bucks are willing to spend into the luxury tax, but it may depend on how deep they’re willing to go if they feel that bringing Chris Paul to Milwaukee is worth the price. Despite the potential financial ramifications, it remains a hot topic for the Bucks to consider simply due to the immediate effect that Paul would have on the team’s success.
Besides, management, Giannis, and Paul all want the same thing: to win. It seems like the Bucks will do whatever it takes to prove to Antetokounmpo that they can build a championship team so that he can also commit to staying long-term, and Giannis would be expected to prioritize winning as well even if it means splitting leadership roles with Paul.
In fact, both superstars seem to hold high respect for each other, and if they were to become teammates, there’s a strong chance that they would help complement one another on and off the court. A star-studded partnership like that certainly has the potential of capturing limitless success that includes at least one glorified NBA title.
When you consider all the variables that the Milwaukee Bucks need to improve their roster and the opportunity for Chris Paul to join forces with a legitimate championship contender, it seems like the Bucks and Paul need each other more than ever before it’s too late.
Most importantly though, how would the Bucks orchestrate a potential deal that would land Chris Paul in Milwaukee?