Moving Russell Westbrook may have happened quickly, but it certainly helped James Harden and Chris Paul weren’t exactly working out in Houston. The Oklahoma City Thunder, of course, received Paul and draft picks in return as compensation for the former face of the franchise.
Ideally, the next step for the Thunder would be to move Paul, who appears to be over the hill at 34 years old and has a big contract when Oklahoma City has made an effort to get below the luxury tax. Not to mention, the Thunder are at the start of a rebuild.
But it looks like the Thunder may be stuck with Paul for a while, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reporting the talks to move Paul elsewhere “are parked.”
While this may seem like a less than ideal situation for both the Thunder and Paul, Wojnarowski is also reporting both parties are open to the point guard staying in Oklahoma City for the year.
Both sides believe there are benefits to Paul, 34, playing out the year with the Thunder…
Though, trade talks could ramp up again after December 15, when players who signed this summer are eligible to be dealt.
…there’s a belief that there could be more success exploring trade scenarios again after Dec. 15 — or even the completion of the 2019-20 season…
