NBA Trades: 3 Moves which OKC Thunder should explore to offload Chris Paul's contract
After months of rumblings underground and whispers in the press, it has finally become official. Chris Paul has been traded by the Houston Rockets to the Oklahoma City Thunder with Russell Westbrook moving the other way. The Thunder also received 2 first round draft picks and 2 first round pick swaps as well.
Paul is now widely expected to be moved on by the Thunder as well, but conflicting reports have emerged which say that Paul will stay with the Thunder for the foreseeable future and will be a part of a new-look Oklahoma City Thunder roster that now includes Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
In the case that the Thunder do decide to move Chris Paul in any case, here are 3 moves that the Thunder should look to explore.
#3 San Antonio Spurs
The least likely destination of all the 3 teams listed here, San Antonio Spurs is a team that might make a move for a superstar like Paul, even though he seems to be on his last legs. Chris Paul and the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, seem like a match made in heaven too.
Both enjoy a discipline to their game and have an affinity to play one way. Paul would become a solid pick and roll player for the Spurs, fitting in well with LaMarcus Aldridge. The Spurs are a team stuck in the bottom half of the playoff standings and might look to this radical solution to help them become more competitive.
The Thunder in return get a superstar in DeMar DeRozan, who they can keep and play around or look to flip for more picks as he has a more tradable contract than Paul. They also get Patty Mills who would be an excellent addition to many playoff-bound teams looking to make a trade for his services.
San Antonio Spurs get: Chris Paul
Oklahoma City Thunder get: DeMar DeRozan and Patty Mills