If there’s any chance that Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder would still make him available, Chris Paul should be a target of the Chicago Bulls.
A possible big time name on the trade block for the coming deadline is the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul. But the way Paul is playing over the last 30 games or so may get the Thunder thinking he is worth retaining after all. The Thunder currently sit in seventh place in the Western Conference standings. Yet, if the Thunder are willing to make a deal with the Chicago Bulls, should John Paxson and Gar Forman jump at the opportunity?
The Bulls sit with a record of 18-30 after their first four dozen games of the 2019-20 regular season. Meanwhile, as the Thunder keep surprising people out West, the disappointment continues to pile up for the Bulls. The Thunder are playing the role this season that the Bulls were supposed to after a good set of free agent signings and draftees from last offseason.
In the sole meeting between the Thunder and Bulls so far this season, OKC delivered with a shocking 26-point comeback in the second half to nab the win. Since that point, the Thunder really took off and established themselves as a true playoff contender in the West. They’ve already surpassed the likes of the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, and San Antonio Spurs in their conference.
But the ultimate question pertaining to possible Thunder-Bulls trade talks is what GarPax could send in return that would get Sam Presti intrigued enough to even consider giving up his veteran star floor general?
CP3 is having a big season with the Thunder and it won’t be as easy to snag him away in a trade as it was once anticipated to be at the 2020 deadline. The Thunder might be more likely to trade forward Danilo Gallinari at this point than they would Paul. Veteran center Steven Adams could also be a name to watch for the Thunder to move at the deadline.
By far the best trade target that the Bulls could seek out from the Thunder is CP3, though. It would be nice to patch the hole in the Bulls frontcourt depth right now, but CP3 is the best fit beyond this season if a trade with the Thunder is pulled off. So far this season, CP3 is averaging 17.2 points per game, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists. He’s completely rejuvenating his career after his time with the Houston Rockets ran up.
The fit between Paul and shooting guard Zach LaVine could be tremendous. The primary ball handling duties would be taken off the shoulders of LaVine and the floor would really open up for him. Rookie point guard Coby White could also further his development playing behind CP3 for a few years.
From almost all angles, salary aside, CP3 would be a good fit with the Bulls. The value he offers would mostly be on the impact he would have on his teammates in the Windy City, but that means a lot for a team that has little to no offensive direction under head coach Jim Boylen this season.
If the Bulls were clinging to anymore hopes that they could make a playoff run in the Eastern Conference this year, then they would have to make a big splash trade deal like landing CP3. The supermax contract he’s sitting with could be hard to swallow, but the way Paul is playing might make it worth it compared to the other pieces the Bulls have.
The Bulls need direction, and that’s something that CP3 brought to the Thunder in surprising fashion so far this season. He could do the same for the Bulls if he were to hit the trade block officially before the deadline.