Suns' Chris Paul on Being in Kyrie Irving Rumors: 'Nobody's Exempt from Being Traded'

Chris Paul is a future Hall of Famer and one of the best players of his generation, but even he can be traded.

And he understands that.

"It's a business," the Phoenix Suns point guard said, per Duane Rankin of AZ Central. "I've seen crazier. The way I found out I was traded from Houston. You just show up to work and be a pro day in and day out. Nobody's exempt from being traded. Find out just like everybody else."

While the Brooklyn Nets ultimately traded Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the Suns offered a package that included Paul, Jae Crowder and a first-round pick.

Paul is no stranger to trade rumors and being dealt.

A trade that would have sent him from the New Orleans Hornets to the Los Angeles Lakers was infamously vetoed by then-NBA Commissioner David Stern in 2011. New Orleans ended up trading him to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers ultimately traded him to the Houston Rockets, who would eventually trade him to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who eventually traded him to the Suns.

It's quite a journey for someone who is a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-Defensive honoree, six-time steals champion, five-time assists champion and member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.

Another trade this season would be just the next step, and it could still happen considering Charania reported the Suns are expected to be "incredibly active" ahead of Thursday's deadline.

Trading Paul, who is an all-time great but is likely past his prime at 37 years old, could help Phoenix revamp its team around Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton as it attempts to take the next step after losing in the 2021 NBA Finals and second round of the 2022 Western Conference playoffs.

And the front office can at least take solace knowing that Paul would apparently understand such a move as an unavoidable part of the game he plays for a living.