The Thunder And Suns Are Talking About A Potential Chris Paul Trade And It Needs To Happen

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Oh shit, that's Phoenix Suns music!!

I love it, I need it, I crave it. As we inch closer and closer to the draft/trades/free agency, the rumors are going to start ramping up. Some are trash, some are pipedreams, and then there's this. Let me see a show of hands how many of you had the Phoenix Suns as a potential trade partner for Chris Paul.

I'm not even sure Suns fans thought of this possibility once their incredible bubble season ended. Remember that thing? That was pretty damn awesome

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That's why I LOVE this trade rumor. We just saw what impact Chris Paul could have on a young rebuilding team in OKC. If you're the Suns and you are looking to finally get over the hump and into the postseason while also keeping your franchise player happy, it's a no brainer right? Chris Paul would be awesome on the Suns. So how likely could this even be?

The tough part is obviously making the money work. Paul makes $41M this year and has a $44M player option for next season. This is how the Suns could get there. It's actually easier than you think. Because the Suns have cap space, they could actually pull it off with Ricky Rubio + Kelly Oubre Jr + picks. That money works. The Suns can use part of their cap space to absorb whatever money is left over, while still having some space to add additional free agents. Tell me that isn't intriguing as a Suns fan. For the Thunder, you get a young asset in Kelly Oubre Jr, and another pass first veteran point guard to help mentor SGA. Maybe the Suns add their 2021 1st or something to help entice OKC. 

This would give you a core of Paul/Booker/Ayton, with guys like Mikal Bridges/Cam Johnson as the shooting help, and then if they are able to bring back Baynes, there's your front court depth. I have to admit, this is intriguing as hell. Especially when you factor in whatever free agent they are able to snag with their left over space. By all accounts the Suns are one of the teams on the rise in the West, and with Chris Paul in the mix why couldn't they flirt with a 6 or 7 seed if the jump we saw them take in the Bubble was real? Remember, Paul played under Monty Williams while they were in New Orleans. I know there are reports that he wants to go to LA or NY, but I'm starting to think the best place for Paul might just be the desert. 

Buckle up because these types of rumors are only going to heat up in the next few days, but this is actually one that I hope happens. Seems like a win-win for everyone involved.