NBA News Roundup, Tuesday, July 16th: Chris Paul trade update, J.R. Smith exits the Cavs and more
The 2019 NBA offseason is now well underway, and most of the in-demand free agents around the league have already been snatched up. At this point, the remaining pool of available talent is pretty shallow and consists primarily of veterans looking to extend their careers via minimum deals.
However, NBA teams will start to look towards trades over the coming weeks, and a number of major moves could still be in the works. So, with plenty going on around the NBA, here is all the latest news and rumors you need to know for July 16th.
Oklahoma City Thunder in no rush to trade Chris Paul
Rumors of Chris Paul's discontent with the Houston Rockets emerged earlier this summer, and last week, CP3 was shipped to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the blockbuster deal for Russell Westbrook.
Paul won't want to spend the final years of his prime on a rebuilding team, and the veteran has been linked to both the Lakers and Heat. However, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Thunder are in no rush to complete a trade:
In talking to some of the parties, I don't think the Thunder are in any hurry to trade him.. It's a difficult complex trade... If you go out there and survey teams, some teams would say, the only way I'm taking this Chris Paul contract is if you give me (draft) picks.
Paul still has three years remaining on his existing contract and will earn more than $40 million during his age-36 season. During the 18-19 campaign, Paul was a steady performer, averaging 15.6 points, 8.2 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game, although many experts have labeled the 34-year-old's contract as the worst in the NBA.