NBA Rumors: Analyzing Trade Buzz on Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton and Jordan Poole
The 2023 NBA offseason has arrived for all but the four teams that reached the conference finals.
The trade rumor mill is quickly picking up speed, as you'd expect.
Some championship dreams were busted over the last handful of days, and a couple of Western Conference powerhouses are making noise with potential plans to trade prominent players. We'll break down that buzz here.
Suns Exploring Chris Paul Trade Scenarios
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When the Phoenix Suns went all-in for Kevin Durant at the trade deadline, they made a pair of high-stakes gambles. The first was that the Durant-Devin Booker tandem would be productive enough to lead a championship run. The second entailed Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton playing at high enough levels to offset the team's lack of depth.
Durant and Booker did their parts, but that second bet went bust. Paul was inconsistent with his shot before his latest ill-timed injury (groin), and Ayton struggled to impact the stat sheet while being thoroughly outplayed by two-time MVP Nikola Jokić.
The Suns, who parted ways with head coach Monty Williams on Saturday, could be ready to make massive moves around the Durant-Booker duo. They are "expected to explore" trade options involving Paul, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, before the point guard's $30.8 million salary becomes fully guaranteed for next season June 28.
Paul's trade market is murky at best. While he is an all-time great in terms of his career, the 38-year-old's present form is worth nowhere near that $30.8 million mark. Maybe another team has a bloated deal it would gladly unload for him, but can that type of trade actually benefit Phoenix? Paul remains a top-shelf creator (8.9 assists against 1.9 turnovers per game in the regular season this year), and the Suns will need an expert decision-maker to maximize Durant, Booker and whatever depth they're able to create.
Phoenix to 'Aggressively Explore' Deandre Ayton Deals
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In 2018, the Suns spent the first overall pick on Ayton. That feels like a lifetime ago given all the changes to the franchise since, which include a coaching change (two whenever Williams' replacement is found), an ownership change and an overhauled roster.
Ayton himself seemed like he could be one of those changes, as he inked a four-year, $132.9 million offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers as a restricted free agent in the summer. The Suns, of course, matched that offer, leading the big man to return to the team that benched him during its elimination loss in the 2022 conference semis.
Matching that deal wasn't necessarily a commitment to Ayton, though, but rather the retention of a high-priced trade asset. The Suns are now "expected to aggressively explore the trade market for him this summer," per MacMahon, who noted that Ayton "would be excited about a fresh start with another franchise."
Ayton's play was up and down this postseason, as his production and aggression ebbed and flowed. He topped 20 points only once and twice finished with single-digit scoring efforts before missing Phoenix's postseason finale with a rib contusion.
Still, outside suitors could see plenty of value in a 24-year-old who was a recent No. 1 pick and has averaged a double-double for his career (16.7 PPG, 10.4 RPG). Sending him elsewhere could be best for the Suns and the polarizing center, too.
Warriors Hesitant to Trade Jordan Poole
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The Golden State Warriors won the NBA title last season, but their follow-up playoff run lasted just two rounds. Plenty of factors went into their disappointing sequel, but a rough postseason by scoring guard Jordan Poole ranked somewhere near the top.
The Warriors were hurting for off-the-dribble creation from anyone other than Stephen Curry, and Poole's skill set gave him the best chance to fill that void. But he was inefficient from everywhere (34.1 FG%, 25.4 3PT%, 76.5 FT%), and when his offense didn't come around, that made it harder to overlook his leaky defense.
With Golden State needing to retool around Curry, Poole seemingly looms as a logical trade candidate. Yet "there's still hesitancy to move him," per The Athletic's Anthony Slater and Shams Charania, given Poole's age (23), upside, scoring punch and potentially torpedoed trade value.
This probably hinges on the league's valuation of Poole, then. Does a team view him as a potential key player for its offense? He did, after all, put up a career-best 20.4 points per game in the regular season while flashing everything from slippery handles to pull-up scoring to creativity around the basket. But since his four-year, $128 million extension doesn't even start until next season, he would be a pricey gamble for any team to bring onboard.
Dumping Poole would do nothing for the Dubs. They would not only need to replace his production, but they'd also have to maximize his salary slot. The budget is tightening around their aging core, so every dollar matters. While Curry still appears capable of leading a championship club, Golden State clearly has work to do to get the rest of the roster up to championship speed.
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