NBA Trade Rumors: Chris Paul Likely To End Season With OKC

Chris Paul joined the Oklahoma City Thunder with plenty of questions in the air. In fact, some felt that the 34-year-old may find himself getting traded at some point of the 2019-20 NBA season. No thanks to a $85.6 million pay check, that possibility looks pretty slim. And with most teams dealing the salary cap restrictions, the chances of CP3 joining a contender has grown bleaker with each passing game.

The good news is that the Paul trade seems to be rendering some positive light. For one, the Thunder are in play for one of the last playoff spots with its current 11-14 win-loss record, Yahoo Sports reported. If they stay the course, that gamble of letting Russell Westbrook go may just pay off. Unfortunately, making it deeper in the playoffs is another story.

Either way, OKC has managed to survive with the 9-time NBA All-Star leading the charge. He is playing good basketball and has been mentoring the young Thunder well. That said, the 4th overall pick of the 2005 NBA Draft is likely to finish the current season in Oklahoma City. Should he move out, such is likely to happen no earlier than summer.

If not the hefty salary owed to Paul, teams would have easily pried him away from the Thunder's clutches by now. Anything is possible although teams would need to give up big to get him. That would include a promising young player and future picks. With most teams investing heavily on younger stars, teams who could take a chance on Paul limited.

So the better question now is when would be the right time to deal for Paul. Some feel that it could extend to the 2021 NBA season - a scenario that raises several more questions. The most important of them all is the fact that CP3 would be already 35 by that time.

Yet another possibility is seeing Paul end his career with the Thunder, CBS Sports reported. Once his production and playing time goes down, such would be a sign that his NBA run is coming to an end.

A look at Basketball Reference shows that Paul can still deliver. In 25 games, he has averaged 15.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists. The numbers are a share under his career averages although he remains vital. For as long as he stays healthy, expect the Thunder to stick to him. That is unless some team comes along and shows willingness to pick up his hefty salary.