There was a time that Chris Paul to Miami seemed like a foregone conclusion.
Apparently, that time has come and gone.
The fact that Oklahoma City and the Heat couldn’t come to an agreement over the summer should have been the first clue that Paul was likely to stay in OKC throughout the duration of the 2019-20 season.
The idea that Paul would get off to a good start, while teams that would need the services of a veteran point guard to position themselves for a playoff push, would struggle, was simply that – an idea.
Paul hasn’t gotten off to a bad start. He’s averaging 16.2 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game. More than that, he’s providing leadership and mentorship to a young Thunder squad that’s surprisingly still in contention for a spot in the West.
The fatal flaw in the plan, however, was anticipating that Miami (or other potential trade partners) would struggle through the first two months of the season.
Unfortunately for Oklahoma City, that hasn’t been the case, especially with regards to the Heat. So much so, that according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, Miami’s interest in bringing in CP3 “is extinct”.
The Heat inquired about a trade for a relic point guard in Chris Paul but weren’t able to come to an agreement with the Thunder this offseason (or with the Rockets when a three-way deal was discussed before the Paul-for–Russell Westbrook agreement). At this point, Miami’s interest in Paul is extinct, according to league sources. Miami is more likely to chase someone like Jrue Holiday, multiple front office executives believe. Holiday was recently made available by the Pelicans, according to The New York Times’ Marc Stein.
It’s not just the Miami Heat that aren’t willing to take on Paul. The market for a 34-year-old point guard with a huge contract is slim at best.
At this point, it’s more likely that Paul will stay with the Thunder through the end of the season, at which point he could either decide to stay or, the more likely scenario, is one in which both sides could come to an agreement on a buyout and allow Paul to pursue other avenues.