Phoenix Suns: Trading for Chris Paul makes too much sense

The Phoenix Suns could make a reasonable move to trade Chris Paul following a recent ESPN report indicating discussions centered around a potential trade.

As trade speculation continues to heat up with the moratorium for transactions expected to be lifted soon, the Phoenix Suns seem to be engaged with the OKC Thunder on a potential deal surrounding All-Star guard Chris Paul.

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps, the Suns have discussed acquiring Chris Paul from OKC. “Talks have been ongoing and have continued to gather traction, but there is no deal imminent.”

After going 8-0 in the bubble behind rising superstar Devin Booker and the rest of their promising young supporting cast, Phoenix could look to make a “win-now” move heading into the 2020-21 NBA season now that they have the confidence of becoming a playoff team. The Suns haven’t made the NBA Playoffs since 2010, so there’s clearly eagerness to get back to the postseason.

If the Suns were to acquire Chris Paul and pair him with Devin Booker, there’s no denying that they would have a greater chance at making the playoffs. Paul is a 10-time All-Star coming off an extraordinary season with the Thunder, and his valuable contributions are still considered to be elite even though he’s 35 years of age.

CP3 averaged 17.6 points, 6.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game on 48.9 percent field goals and 36.5 percent from beyond the arc during the 2019-20 NBA season while defying all odds by leading OKC to the fifth-seed in the playoffs. It was truly remarkable what Chris Paul accomplished last season, and he proved to the world that he’s still one of the best at his position.

Adding Paul to the Phoenix Suns’ youthful roster would make complete sense when considering their directed intentions and values heading into the near future. Phoenix wants to become a legitimate playoff contender in the wild Western Conference that’s becoming more and more competitive, and what better way to do so by bringing in a future Hall of Fame point guard in Chris Paul.

The veteran floor general is expected to receive a lot of interest from other teams this offseason, and with OKC likely heading toward a full rebuild following the departure of head coach Billy Donovan and others, it’s very likely that CP3 will be playing elsewhere next season. Thunder general manager Sam Presti has reportedly expressed his willingness to work with Paul on a potential trade, similar to how he worked with Russell Westbrook and Paul George with their respective deals.

There’s no certainty that Chris Paul would want to come to Phoenix, but he had played under current Suns head coach Monty Williams when he was with New Orleans and holds high respect for him. It would make sense for Paul to want to reunite with one of his previous coaches as well as play alongside another All-Star in an improved and growing culture.

When you consider all aspects of a potential trade that would land Chris Paul in Phoenix from OKC, it makes too much sense. Although, it really depends on what the Suns can offer to the Thunder.

What the Phoenix Suns can send back to the OKC Thunder for Chris Paul

The most likely package that Phoenix could offer would include Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre Jr., possibly a young prospect such as Ty Jerome, and a first-round pick.

OKC would likely be intrigued by 24-year-old Kelly Oubre Jr., who is coming off a career-high season in which he averaged 18.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game on 45.2 percent field goals. The Suns don’t seem keen on keeping Oubre, largely because they went undefeated in the bubble without him and he’ll also be on an expiring contract this season, so offloading him, especially for a player of Chris Paul’s caliber, would certainly be understandable.

The Thunder would also value another first-round pick and youth as they prepare to rebuild, if they do indeed decide to rebuild. However, there would be some issues that could rise to the surface in this proposed trade scenario with the Phoenix Suns. To begin with, OKC would likely have no interest in absorbing Ricky Rubio and the remaining two-years, $34.8 million on his contract. Perhaps a third team could be involved to take Rubio, but he has to be included in any CP3 to the Suns deal due to salary-matching purposes.

Another reason why the Thunder could be hesitant involves the expiring contract of Oubre. He’s a promising player that continues to show exciting potential, but is he worth trading for the risk of having him for one season? That’s something that would have to be considered.

Other potential suitors could emerge as well such as New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers that could offer more for Chris Paul’s services, but Phoenix seems to be the most interested party at this time. Teams may also shy away from pursuing Paul due to the $85.5 million that he’s owed over the next two years, although it looks like the Suns are a team that’s comfortable adding him to their books with the necessary cap space that they hold.

If the Phoenix Suns can agree to terms with the Thunder on a deal that sends Chris Paul to the desert, it would be a massive move that identifies the Suns as a serious competitor. That’s what the franchise intends to head in the direction of, so sacrificing part of their future value for CP3 makes complete sense.

The Suns already made noise in the bubble, and now they have a bold opportunity to send shockwaves around the league this offseason. Watch out ladies and gentlemen; Phoenix could stealthily be on their way toward headlines with their developing pursuit of Chris Paul.