When it’s all said and done, Chris Paul could be wearing a Phoenix Suns uniform.
The future of the “Point God” has been in question from the time he posted what appeared to be a farewell video to the fans of the Oklahoma City Thunder shortly after the club was eliminated from the 2020 NBA Playoffs by the Houston Rockets.
Since then, Paul has been asked about his future many times, and not once has he proclaimed any allegiance to the Thunder organization or given anyone the impression that he expected to be wearing a Thunder uniform by the time the 2020-21 season tips off.
Instead, Paul has played it coy and has simply let it be known that he’ll be ready to play ball again next season, whether that be in Oklahoma City, New York, Milwaukee or… Phoenix.
On Tuesday, an ESPN report linked the Thunder and Suns on a potential trade that would land Paul in Phoenix to play alongside a young nucleus built around Devin Booker. The Suns narrowly missed out on qualifying for the playoffs after putting together an impressive 8-0 run in the Orlando bubble. If nothing else, it gives hope for the future in Phoenix. The franchise could also reasonably believe that Paul could be one of the missing ingredients to unlock its full potential.
On Wednesday, on the heels of the initial report, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst appeared on Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta and provided additional insight on the potential of Paul landing in the desert.
“This is a three-sided trade. This is just as much about the Suns having discussions with Chris Paul as it is with the Thunder… From what I understand, the Suns have been given permission to communicate with Chris Paul and before they get into conversations, they’ve talked about trade pieces, but it’s gotta be Chris Paul that goes to the Thunder and says, ‘Phoenix is where I want to be. Let’s try to make a deal.’
Windhorst even went further in saying that Paul has “an interest” in playing in Phoenix, which certainly seems to be further along on the path of becoming a playoff contender than the other team that has been most strongly linked to the idea of acquiring the 35-year-old, the New York Knicks.
“I know Chris Paul has interest in the Suns. It’s a matter of whether he basically says this is where I want to go and that’s probably up to Phoenix and Chris to work that out.”
At this point, there are no reported parameters of a trade, but it stands to reason that Oklahoma City would be reluctant to take back any long money. The prevailing perception is that the Thunder will continue to look to stockpile draft assets as Sam Presti attempts to rebuild the team around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Darius Bazley and its other promising youngsters.