PHOENIX SUNS
Report: Suns have had talks with Thunder about acquiring Chris Paul
Nov 10, 2020, 6:55 PM | Updated: Nov 11, 2020, 1:20 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul (3) reacts during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Kim Klement/Pool Photo via AP)
(Kim Klement/Pool Photo via AP)
The Phoenix Suns have had discussions with the Oklahoma City Thunder about acquiring All-Star point guard Chris Paul, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps.
Windhorst writes “talks have been ongoing and continued to gather traction but there is no deal imminent.”
Paul, 35, is coming off an All-NBA season in which he led the Thunder to the playoffs. He averaged 17.6 points and 6.7 assists per game, making the All-Star team for the first time since 2017.
The 10-time All-Star was traded by the Houston Rockets to the Thunder in the summer of 2019 as a part of the Russell Westbrook deal. He has two years left on his deal, making $41.3 million next season and has a $44.2 million player option for the year after.
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For any type of Paul trade to function, the Suns would have to include large salaries in return to match Paul’s large contract. With Devin Booker assumingly untouchable, candidates include point guard Ricky Rubio ($17 million) and Kelly Oubre Jr. ($14.3 million).
The NBA’s moratorium has not been lifted yet, meaning trades cannot legally occur until it is. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that could come two to three days prior to the Nov. 18 NBA Draft.
Paul played for Suns head coach Monty Williams in New Orleans and was drafted by Suns vice president of basketball operations Jeff Bower in 2005.
