NBA Rumors: Chris Paul Ponders Next Move, Stint With Thunder Up In The Air

Chris Paul has been the subject of NBA trade rumors the past weeks, linked to several clubs who could use someone of his caliber. Though already 35-years-old and said to be “washed up,” the ten-time NBA All-Star shamed a lot of people with his performance with the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2019-20 NBA season. Best of all, he still managed to help the rebuilding Thunder to the NBA playoffs.

Paul was one of the virtual fans present during Game 3 of the NBA Finals which the Miami Heat won 115-104 thanks to the monster efforts of Jimmy Butler. He was asked by color commentators about his future and CP3 shrugged off talk about him entering his twilight years and that he just feels blessed to be playing this long via @ESPNNBA.

"Man, I just love to hoop. ... You call it twilight years, I call it a blessing," Paul said.

Though he has a well-decorated basketball-resume, the most glaring thing missing from the former NBA Rookie of the Year (2006) is an NBA title. There are contending teams who could use him but his hefty $159 million contract is standing in the way. He is headed into the final year of that deal and may have to wait until that expires to get that chance.

But even at his age, Paul has proven he can still hoop. Last NBA season, he averaged 17.6 points, 6.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals according to Basketball-Reference. Though he is at the point where the careers of most pro basketball players go down, Paul stood up and guided the Thunder through the season. It remains to be seen if he can continue to do that.

But the question now is whether he will remain in Oklahoma City or join another club. Some teams could use his playmaking such as the Milwaukee Bucks. As mentioned in a previous post, it is a risky move but the fact remains Milwaukee needs someone who can stabilize the team and bring veteran leadership.

Other teams could bring him in, like perhaps the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets or even the Phoenix Suns. But with time winding down, CP3 may prefer a move to a contender. If that does not happen this 2020-21 season, it could be the case next offseason – but with lesser money involved.