Chris Paul hasn’t necessarily said he wanted to remain in Oklahoma City. Should he?
The oft-discussed subject of Chris Paul’s future is likely to be a recurring theme in the NBA with the offseason officially here.
Paul — who is 35 years old — restored his image this past season and perceived value so much so that general manager Sam Presti is expected to have a few offers to choose from should the GM decide that it’s best to sell high on Paul. The Knicks, for example, are expected to be in on the point guard.
To his credit, Paul has said all the right things as it relates to his future. He has two years remaining on his current contract and doesn’t possess a no-trade clause, so he doesn’t necessarily have the power to stop a trade to a team to which he wouldn’t be enthused to report. At the same time, he recognizes Sam Presti and Billy Donovan for the roles they played in helping him make the All-NBA Second Team and bouncing back.
Of all the things Paul has said recently, though, one thing he hasn’t said unequivocally was that he wanted to remain in Oklahoma City. One of his former teammates and current Fox Sports New Orleans analyst Antonio Daniels made the case for Paul to do just that.
Daniels had an at-length and very informative discussion with Heavy.com’s Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on the Thunder, including Paul’s tenure with the team. Daniels also made the case for CP3 doing what he can to ensure he remains with the club.
“[H]e had an opportunity to go to Oklahoma City this year and completely recreate his image. Think about what was ‘perceived’ about Chris Paul… because remember in Lob City, it was DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin and you know, well they don’t get along well with Chris Paul. Then you go to Houston; and then it’s aw well, him and James Harden you know, their relationship is not salvageable… so now, people start looking on the outside and are like, ‘Man. The common denominator is Chris Paul.’”
Daniels, it should be noted, spent four years with Fox Sports Oklahoma, covering the team. Following the conclusion of last season, though, he left the network for New Orleans, meaning he didn’t have the opportunity to cover Paul as a member of the Thunder.
During Daniels’ interview with Robinson, he also shared some candid thoughts on the challenges Billy Donovan faced before taking his coaching talents to Chicago, and he’s spot-on in his analysis.
When Paul was traded to Oklahoma City, he was perceived to be over the hill and his contract was considered one of the worst in the NBA. If nothing else, though, this past season, he proved that he still has some gas left in the tank and that he’s still capable of being an effective leader for a team looking to get to the next level.
At this point, the prevailing sentiment is that Paul would rather find himself on a contending team — the Milwaukee Bucks could probably benefit from his talents — but Daniels essentially makes the case that Paul should continue what he started in Oklahoma City.
Championship or not, the future Hall of Famer has been a winner for the duration of his career, and his leading the Thunder to the fifth seed in the Western Conference this season was among his finest work.
Is that enough for Paul to want to marry himself to Presti? Probably not. But it’s a compelling case, nonetheless.
