ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday that the Oklahoma City Thunder have officially agreed to trade All-Star guard Chris Paul to the Phoenix Suns.
The report comes just a few days after it was reported that the two teams were discussing such a move. In exchange for the future Hall-of-Famer, the Suns have agreed to send Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque, and a 2022 first-round pick to the Thunder. Swingman Abdel Nader is also heading from Oklahoma City to Phoenix alongside Paul.
The trade just comes a day after the Thunder verbally agreed to send guard Dennis Schroder to the Los Angeles Lakers. OKC is set to receive Danny Green and the No. 28 overall pick in Wednesday’s draft in exchange for Schroder.
OKC’s Rebuilding Process
The moves are a clear sign that Oklahoma City is headed for a lengthy rebuild. The Thunder were one of the league’s biggest surprises this past season, finishing as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference despite generating almost zero playoff buzz before the season began. Last summer, the Thunder shipped Russell Westbrook to the Rockets, while Paul George was dealt to the Clippers.
The Phoenix Suns are finalizing a deal to acquire Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star guard Chris Paul, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 16, 2020
Paul was the primary piece that came from Houston in the Westbrook deal, and he wound up leading an underdog Thunder team to an unexpected postseason appearance. Paul and the Thunder wound up falling in seven games at the hands of Westbrook’s Rockets in the first round, but the season was still an unexpected success for OKC.
Suns’ Playoff Push
The Suns will be Paul’s third team in as many years. Phoenix wound up falling just short of their own postseason appearance last season despite going a perfect 8-0 during the seeding schedule at the bubble in Orlando. Phoenix has been looking to upgrade the roster around stars Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton.
With Paul now in tow, Phoenix is hoping to finally snap their postseason drought. The Suns have not played in a playoff game since the 2009-10 campaign, which is one of the longest streaks in the league.
Paul, who will turn 36 next May, showed last season that he still has plenty left in the tank. The former No. 4 overall pick averaged 17.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 49 percent from the field. He has endured his fair share of injury issues in recent years, but he managed to crack the 70-game mark for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
With the Suns, Paul will be reunited with head coach Monty Williams. Williams was Paul’s head coach in New Orleans back in 2010-11 before CP3 was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Uncertain Future for Thunder
What happens next with Oklahoma City remains to be seen. General manager Sam Presti has acquired a king’s ransom worth of draft picks over the past calendar year. Swingman Danilo Gallinari, who came to OKC from the Clippers in the George trade, will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The same can be said of Andre Roberson and Nerlens Noel.
The Thunder let head coach Billy Donovan walk this offseason after his contract expired. Last week, the team promoted Mark Daigneault to replace him on the bench. Daigneault, 35, was the head coach of the Thunder’s G League affiliate before joining Donovan’s staff as an assistant prior to last season.
Rubio averaged 13 points, 8.8 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game last season in his first season with the Suns. Oubre, who will be a free agent after the upcoming season, may become part of Oklahoma City’s long-term core. Oubre thrived in his season-and-a-half with the Suns, and he averaged a career-high 18.7 points per game last season. The 24-year-old began his career with the Wizards.
The new-and-improved Suns will be up against it in the tough Pacific Division, which already features three legitimate title contenders in the Lakers, Clippers, and Warriors. After the trade, though, Phoenix’s chances to win the Western Conference improved from +5000 to +2200 at BetOnline.ag. The Suns have also improved to +5000 to win the NBA title next season.
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith has been a staff writer with GamblingSites.org since early 2017. Taylor is primarily a sports writer, though he will occasionally dabble in other things like politics and entertainment betting. His primary specialties are writing about the NBA, Major League Baseball, NFL and domestic and international soccer. Fringe sports like golf and horse racing aren’t exactly his cup of tea, bu …
