Whne Chris Paul was traded to the OKC Thunder this summer, nobody thought he’d be there for very long.
But with over half the season in the rearview mirror now, not only is Paul’s place with the Thunder clear, but their partnership has been a huge success.
And don’t expect Paul to sacrifice any portion of his contract for a trade, even if it means helping organize his way out of Oklahoma City.
(via Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report)
The Oklahoma City Thunder guard says he has no intention of opting out of the $44.2 million he’s due in 2021-22 to facilitate any future trades.
“No chance. That’s not happening. Nope,” Paul told Rohan Nadkarni of Sports Illustrated.
The 34-year-old has a player option for the final season of the four-year, $159.7 million deal he signed with the Houston Rockets in 2018. His contract has been viewed as the biggest roadblock the Thunder face in finding a new home for the future Hall of Famer, who was essentially acquired to later be flipped for more assets as the franchise rebuilds.
Paul’s $44 million contract is viewed as one of the worst in the league. It held up his trade from Houston and is part of the reason he wasn’t traded against in the offseason.
Opting out of his deal might help orchestrate his way out. But, depsite the team being far from contention, it seems unlikely he will do so.
He wants the bag, and doesn’t seem very desperate to get out of Oklahoma anyway.
