Chris Paul was once considered as one of the most dominant two-way point guards in the league. He was the ultimate point god, a guy that could run the offense, control the pace, score at will, make others better, and then get stops in the other end of the court like the best of them.
While he’s still a great veteran point guard whose presence is duly noted in both ends of the hardwood, he’s no longer the explosive playmaker and scorer he used to be back in the day, and his massive contract (with an average salary of over 39 million per year) make him extremely difficult to move by the Houston Rockets.
Daryl Morey just made everybody but James Harden expendable, and obviously, that includes CP3 and his toxic deal. Coming off a subpar season in which he still managed to average 15.6 points, and 8.2 assists per game, the 34-year-old is definitely going to draw a lot of attention from many teams, but by all means, the teams were about to mention should definitely avoid trading for Chris Paul.
4. Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns have been desperately craving a starting point guard for years now, and reports point towards them trying to get rid of Josh Jackson as soon as possible. Even so, this young team needs more team to build chemistry and start competing, so a 34-year-old point guard isn’t going to instantly make them a playoff team in the West.
Chris Paul wants to win an NBA Championship, and he’s not going to do so in the desert. He’s well aware of that, and you don’t want an unhappy, uncomfortable CP3 in your locker room. The Suns should try and find a starting point guard elsewhere, especially now that they’re future is bright under Monty Williams.
3. Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz have never been exactly pleased with Ricky Rubio, and the fact that they’ve allegedly discussed several trades involving him throughout the course of years says they’re not entirely sold on him as their point guard for the future. They wanted to absorb Mike Conley’s huge deal, so they might as well feel the same way about Chris Paul.
The Jazz are just on the verge of Championship contention and need a couple of pieces to finally take a step forward, as well as let Donovan Mitchell fulfill his true potential. Adding the injury-prone CP3 won’t be much of an upgrade over Rubio at this stage of his career, and this team needs to save for Rudy Gobert’s supermax extension.
2. New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are desperate to compete for an NBA Championship and they have enough money to make a run at two top-tier free agents in the offseason. They’re allegedly the frontrunners to sign Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but somehow they always seem to strike out on their goal and it could happen again.
But, if the Knicks don’t land Kyrie Irving, they shouldn’t pursue Chris Paul at any costs. He’s aging, his contract is incredibly toxic, and they’d still have Frank Ntilikina, and Dennis Smith Jr as young, promising players. As a matter of fact, they could even try and pursue Kemba Walker in free agency, so no CP3 in the Garden, please.
1. Los Angeles Lakers
Chris Paul is one of LeBron James’ closest friends and he’d love to have the chance to play alongside. They could even clear some space for Carmelo Anthony. However, Paul has reportedly earned a poor reputation in the league as a bad teammate, so is that the guy you’d want in the Lakers locker room amid the mess they’ve become right now? He’d make free agents flee.
Moreover, the Lakers should give Lonzo Ball another chance to prove his worth before pursuing Paul, Kyrie, Kemba or any other starting point guard. Ball is a great defender and playmaker, and they’d regret letting him go to start a 34-year-old point guard that’s far past his prime. No disrespect for Paul, I truly love him and think he is one of the top 5 point guards ever, but with his contract, I’m not taking him if I’m the Lakers.
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