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The Athletic’s Zach Harper knows the Phoenix Suns will improve with Chris Paul, but that doesn’t mean he counts them the winners of the blockbuster trade.
After Oklahoma City Thunder shipped Paul and Abdel Nader to Phoenix for Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and a protected 2022 first-round pick, Harper said the Thunder got the slightly better end of the deal.
He gave the Thunder an ‘A’ grade for the trade.
The Suns got an ‘A-.’
Harper wrote:
“There is a lot to love about this trade for the Thunder. Not only do they save money and bring in such intriguing young players as Ty Jerome and Jalen Lecque, but also they have veterans they can flip once again.”
Those veterans may not immediately be traded, Harper said. He speculated there’s a good chance Rubio plays for the Thunder this season before being traded in the 2021 offseason or at the 2022 deadline.
Oubre, meanwhile, has a contract that expires in 2021, so he would have to be traded this offseason or coming season — unless the Thunder want to keep him for the rebuild.
“If [Sam Presti] decides to keep Oubre and try to re-sign him, he just adds to the long-term length and athleticism of wings the Thunder have.”
Harper wrote Jerome could be “an excellent third guard off the bench” and that Lecque’s athleticism makes him a player worth watching.
“He, in fact, might be the most athletic guy on the Thunder, which is something considering they have Terrance Ferguson and Hamidou Diallo on the squad. They’ll throw him into the development program and see what they can churn out with his skill set.”
Harper called the 2022 draft pick “a bit of a gamble” considering the Suns are officially in win-now mode and, in an ideal world for Phoenix, would have a pick in the 20s.
That pick may end up not being a game changer, but it’s not the roll of the dice that trading for Paul on his contract is.
Harper called it “a huge risk for the Suns” before acknowledging that “it’s a calculated risk.” With Paul, Phoenix should make the playoffs and Booker should be able to make an All-NBA team. Yet with Paul’s age, contract and injury history, Harper was tentative in calling it an overwhelming victory for the Suns.
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