The Phoenix Suns are the latest team to express interest in acquiring Chris Paul. This according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports the Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder is discussing a potential move involving the future Hall of Fame point guard.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns are engaged in talks on a Chris Paul trade. @WindhorstESPN and @TimBontemps reporting on ESPN: https://t.co/ohOoKidWT3
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 11, 2020
First, the benefits of such a move.
The Benefits of Acquiring CP3
On one hand, it makes sense for the Suns to add Paul. They’re an up and coming team with two cornerstone pieces that are very young. Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton will not only benefit from playing alongside Paul in the short term, but they’ll be able to pick up habits and tricks from the vet to use for years to come. It never hurts a young team to have a veteran leader like Paul join the group, and in that regard, it makes sense.
Paul would not only help Booker get the ball in his spots, but he’d also take a significant workload off his shoulders in the offense. Booker is a good, useful distributor, but the Suns have relied on that part of his game to heavily early in his career. Adding Paul would allow Booker to focus on what he does best, scoring the ball. When his play-making is coming off of his scoring, he becomes that much more dangerous. Acquiring a player of Paul’s skill level would make the game much easier for Booker.
Not just him, though. Ayton would also benefit in the short term from sharing the court with CP3. Last season, the big man shot 60.5% from the field as the roller in the Pick & Roll game. That gave him a very nice 1.16 points per possession as the roll man, sitting just below guys like Kristaps Porzingis (1.17 PPP) and Bam Adebayo (1.18 PPP). Paul is a savvy, brilliant passer and would set up Ayton for easier finishes when rolling to the basket.
The intrigue by the Suns’ front office certainly makes some sense for the listed reasons.
The Concerns of Adding CP3
Paul is a no-doubt Hall of Famer once eligible, truly one of the greatest point guards that have played the game. That being said, there are significant reasons for concern in adding him to the Suns’ roster.
First, is his age. Although he bounced back last season with the Thunder and proved he still has gas in the tank, he still carries significant mileage on his body. Paul is 35 years old with years upon years of wear and tear on his body. That usually can be overlooked to some extent, but Paul’s methodical, high usage style of play has certainly taken a toll on his body at this point.
Paul would be much better suited to find a contending or even mid-range playoff team to acquire his services. They can help alleviate the load he needs to carry, manage his minutes and usage, and know they’re doing so with a playoff push at the end. The Suns would find themselves with little money to add depth across the board after any move, inevitably requiring him to carry a significant burden on a near-nightly basis.
Another factor that stems from that point is his contract. It’s only for the upcoming season, plus one more on a player option. Problematic is the salary hit in that second year, which would be around $44,211,146. With an up and coming duo of Booker and Ayton, why would the Suns want to limit their options to build around them in the coming years?
This team isn’t contending before that contract expires, meaning that money can be better used on building blocks for the following few years. That is the Suns’ best route to becoming a true title contender.
How Far Should the Suns’ Interest in Trading for Chris Paul go?
Outside of the exploratory discussions, the teams have had, this shouldn’t go much further. The Thunder have been consistent in not being interested in moving Paul without receiving legitimate assets in return. There are teams that can and will offer things of value for CP3, but the Suns must resist any such temptation.
Offer draft capital? Absolutely not. Young players with upside (Such as Kelly Oubre)? No way. Outside of Ricky Rubio and potentially salary filler, the Suns should be unwilling to move any of their decently valued pieces in a Paul trade. Rubio isn’t going to excite the Thunder, and at that point, it makes sense for the Suns to keep him anyway.
He was very good last year in his first season with the Suns. Also a crafty, savvy veteran playmaker (to a much less extent), Rubio does what the Suns need alongside Booker, Ayton, and Oubre. Instead of forcing a ‘splash’ move, the Suns need to remain patient.
It took them years to get to where they were at the end of last season. The worst thing to do now would be sacrifice assets for a big name. Focus on growth, development, and the future. That’s how the Suns get back to being a perennial playoff contender.
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