It’s safe to assume Chris Paul won’t be a mainstay in Oklahoma City. So, where would the star point guard be best served taking his talents next?
The Thunder reportedly acquired Paul in the blockbuster trade that shipped Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets. Paul doesn’t appear to be part of OKC’s future, however, and at least one report indicates the plan is the 34-year-old “doesn’t play a game in a Thunder uniform.”
The Thunder obviously won’t rush into a Paul trade, which likely will be complicated any way you slice it. But Max Kellerman believes the Los Angeles Lakers more so than any other team would benefit from working out an arrangement to acquire CP3.
“You need a point guard, and the best available guy is Chris Paul,” Kellerman said Tuesday on ESPN’s “First Take.” “You’re not gonna take him? That’s actually a perfect fit: Chris Paul with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. It’s perfect. … With LeBron on the wing and AD in the post? Yeah, that’s fine with me. That works just fine.”
Kellerman continued: “Does AD defend? Does Danny Green defend? Can LeBron defend? When needed, he’s an excellent defender, right? How’s Avery Bradley on defense? That’s a lot of guys already I’ve mentioned that can defend on the Lakers. I mean, that’s OK, and Chris Paul is not a bad defensive player. So he fits there.”
Seemingly the only way the Lakers would be able to bring on Paul would be to work out a buyout situation with the Thunder. This would be a tall task, as the nine-time All-Star is owed $124 million over the next three seasons.
A far more likely landing spot for Paul appears to be South Beach, and the Miami Heat reportedly are Paul’s preferred destination. Disagreements on draft picks included in this potential deal might prevent the transaction from happening sooner rather than later, though.
