NBA Season Preview 2019-20: 5 players most likely to be traded

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4. Chris Paul, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder

When Paul George requested a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers to join Kawhi Leonard, it caused the Oklahoma City Thunder to reevaluate their future.

Rather than cling to Russell Westbrook as their lone superstar, the Thunder flipped their longtime point guard to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul, two future first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps.

The 34-year-old likely isn’t in the Thunder’s long-term plans, though.

Oklahoma City had “been working with Paul and his representatives on finding a trade, but nothing [was] materializing so deep into summer free agency,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported. “… For now, there’s a belief that there could be more success exploring trade scenarios after Dec. 15 — or even the completion of the 2019-20 season.”

Paul has three years and $124.1 million remaining on his contract, which won’t make it easy for the Thunder to find a willing trade partner. They don’t “feel a need to surrender draft compensation to unload Paul’s contract,” according to Wojnarowski, as they “believe that Paul can serve as a mentor to [Shai] Gilgeous-Alexander, a second-year guard who’s considered the franchise’s future playmaker.”

On Dec. 15, players who signed with teams as free agents this summer will become eligible to be traded, which could expand the market for Paul somewhat. Although his albatross of a contract will be a bitter pill to swallow, some team might talk itself into Paul being the difference between a deep playoff run and a trip to the lottery dais.

If the Thunder don’t have to cough up significant draft compensation to move Paul, he’s likely to find himself on a new team by mid-February.