The Phoenix Suns have had trade talks with the Oklahoma City Thunder about acquiring point guard Chris Paul, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps.
Paul is coming off an all-star season, his 10th in 15 years in the NBA, with the Thunder, leading the upstart squad to a 44-28 record and a fifth straight playoff appearance. The 35-year-old topped the club in win shares (8.9) and averaged 17.6 points, 6.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game on 48.9 per cent shooting from the field and 36.5 from three as part of a formidable backcourt with Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
If Paul is traded, it would be the second move in as many years for the veteran playmaker, who was dealt to Oklahoma City as part of a blockbuster deal that sent Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets in the 2019 off-season.
While Paul carries a significant price tag — he’s set to make $41.4 million in 2020-21 and has a $44.2-million player option for the next season — he would also be a significant upgrade at point over Ricky Rubio for a young and talented Suns squad that narrowly missed out on the playoffs in the West last season.
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