Phoenix Suns: Package will determine if a Chris Paul deal is worth it

Despite the chance to legitimize their playoff hopes, the Phoenix Suns must ensure that any Chris Paul trade keeps their bright future intact.

Chris Paul has been hypothesized on several teams while the OKC Thunder look to send him elsewhere to ignite a rebuild. Thanks to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps, we can now add the Phoenix Suns to that list, who, per the report, have had trade discussions surrounding the All-Star point guard.

The Suns are feeling themselves following an undefeated run in the bubble’s seeding games. After years at the bottom of the standings, they see now as the time to begin tracking up the conference ladder, with Paul the player who can accelerate that journey.

Despite turning 35 in May, Paul put forth a resurgent season in his first year with the Thunder. His 17.6 points and 6.7 assists per game were meager compared to his Hall-of-Fame numbers, but CP3 was the league’s best mid-range shooter and its premier crunch-time closer, guiding OKC to a surprise playoff appearance and within one game of the second round.

If Ricky Rubio can make the Suns 8.5 points better per 100 possessions — per Cleaning The Glass — imagine the leg up Paul’s superior scoring and playmaking and equally adept defensive work can provide in the uber-competitive race for the eighth spot.

Ending a decade-long playoff drought would be the first encouraging step the Suns have taken since the Steve Nash era came to a close. But the desire to do so must be measured with the realities of what a potential deal for Paul might mean.

Desperate for capable wing players, the Thunder are likely to seek one of Mikal Bridges or Cameron Johnson. That’s already too high a price for Phoenix on account of Bridge’s multipositional defense and Johnson’s lethal 3-point stroke. Outside of Booker and Deandre Ayton, they are the most important pieces to the Suns’ potential.

The logical middle ground for the Suns and Thunder is Kelly Oubre Jr, who doesn’t seem to factor into Phoenix’s long-term plans with the emergence of Bridges and Johnson. OKC could do a lot worse than an athletic 24-year-old forward coming off career-highs of 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

Rubio’s $17 million salary would need to be included. The Suns should even be willing to put the 10th pick on the table, either straight up or pick swap for OKC’s 25th pick. Their goals indicate a desire to move away from draft picks and early player development in favor of tangible progress in the form of wins.

The Suns finally have a roster beginning to take nice shape around Booker. It’s functional with a current star who accentuates a budding one along with high-quality complementary pieces who fit snuggly into predetermined roles.

That certainly isn’t enough to take on the contenders of today. It might be enough to favorably position the Suns not too far down the line, which is why mortgaging some of the core pieces to that future is short-sighted.

Yes, Phoenix’s youngsters could benefit from even a minimal playoff run. Who’s to say Paul’s presence guarantees one out west? His defiance of age and attrition shouldn’t entice a team like the Suns to place a heavy bet on that trend continuing, not at over $80 million for the next two years — that’s with a heavy assumption CP doesn’t opt out of the final year of his deal next summer, leaving the Suns high and dry after just one season to join a more ready-made contender.

Phoenix might be antsy to be relevant. 10 years worth of playoff absences can do that to a franchise. But they’re on the right track for the first time in a while. If that track offers some wiggle room to bring in a player capable of helping them end the second-longest current playoff drought, by all means. Booker and Co. could use the taste.

Anything more and the Suns would be diverting from the course that makes a Chris Paul trade so intriguing to begin with.