NBA Rumors: Three ‘Logical Places’ For Thunder PG Chris Paul, According To ESPN Insider
A year after moving out of the shadow of James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder star Chris Paul managed to bring back his old self and proved to everyone in the league that he still has plenty of gas left in his tank. However, despite what could be considered a successful first year in Oklahoma City, Paul may have to move again when the 2019-20 NBA season is officially over. He may be the one who helped install winning culture to the Thunder, but with the team heading into an inevitable rebuild, he’s obviously an odd fit on their roster.
In a recent appearance on ESPN’s The Hoop Collective podcast, NBA insiders Brian Windhorst and Royce Young talked about CP3 and his uncertain future with the Thunder. Once he becomes officially available on the trading block, Paul is expected to receive strong interest from teams that are in dire need of a backcourt boost and additional star power to contend for the championship title. When Windhorst asked where the veteran point guard could be traded, Young said the three “logical places” for Paul in the 2020 offseason are the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, and the New York Knicks.
“I look at three teams — Bobby knows better than me, but I look at three teams as the most likely destinations: Philly, the Knicks, and Milwaukee. Those are the three teams that I think are logical places,” Young said, as transcribed by Adam Hermann of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Despite finishing the season with one of the worst records in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks have been frequently linked to rumors involving Paul. The Knicks may still be in the middle of the rebuilding process, but with Leon Rose currently serving as the team’s president of basketball operations, they already want to take a huge leap forward in the 2020-21 NBA season. Aside from what he could contribute on both ends of the floor, Paul could also teach the Knicks’ promising core a thing or two about winning, like what he did to the Thunder.
Meanwhile, the Sixers and the Bucks would be undeniably more appealing landing spots for Paul than the Knicks. Joining forces with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, or Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton in Milwaukee, could give CP3 a realistic chance of winning his first championship ring next year. While making them a more competitive team in the Eastern Conference, Paul could serve as a great mentor for Simmons and Embiid in the City of Brotherly Love.
Having an elite three-point shooter like Paul on their roster would also help the Sixers address their much-needed improvement in terms of floor-spacing. Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, Paul could immediately replace Eric Bledsoe in the starting lineup. Despite being older, he is clearly a much better point guard than Bledsoe and is more familiar with the playoff environment.
