NBA Rumors: Examining Trade Chatter on Chris Paul, Bradley Beal and More

While the 2019 NBA free-agent pool has largely dried up, the trade market continues seeing household names get thrown around.

Maybe none of these names ever change jerseys. But in a summer as frenetic as this, everything seems possible, doesn't it?

The latest buzz surrounds three players with a combined 16 All-Star selections between them. We'll break it all down below.

Chris Paul Staying in the Sooner State?

After trading away both Paul George and Russell Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder have seemingly veered head-first into an organizational overhaul. That makes 34-year-old Chris Paul as likely a trade candidate as you'll find, since neither his age nor his contract are easy fits for rebuilding plans.

But the veteran point guard may want to hold off on packing his belongings for now.

Despite efforts to work out a trade, "nothing is materializing," per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, and trade talks are now "parked." League sources have "an increasing expectation" Paul will start the season with the Thunder, and both sides see potential positives to him playing out the 2019-20 campaign there.

That doesn't mean Thunder fans should prepare to watch the remainder of Paul's career, just that his stay with the team could last longer than expected. Sources believe a deal could be easier to find after Dec. 15—when most players signed this summer become eligible to be traded—or even following the upcoming campaign.

While the Miami Heat have been mentioned as a possible suitor, the team reportedly "does not have strong interest and is not aggressively pursuing a trade for Paul at this time," per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The Heat would need to be "absolutely overwhelmed" to consider taking on the remainder of his contract, perhaps taking back bloated contracts and returning Miami's first-rounders in 2021 and 2023.

But OKC "doesn't feel a need to surrender draft compensation" in a Paul swap, per Wojnarowski, and thinks the veteran could be a valuable mentor to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a 21-year-old point guard who was one of the centerpieces in the George trade.

Heat Have 'Strong Interest' in Bradley Beal, but is he Available?

Should the Washington Wizards ever deem a rebuild inevitable, they have an incredible trade chip to cash in for serious assets.

Bradley Beal checks almost every box of a top-shelf trade target. He's 26 years old, getting better every season and secured his spot in the past two All-Star Games. He's also under contract at a relatively reasonable rate through 2020-21, so he'd be more than a rental for whichever team acquires him.

The Heat have "strong interest" in being that team, per Jackson, and even that might undersell their desire. They're such big fans of Beal they might consider taking back the remaining four years and $171 million of John Wall's contract if it meant landing both backcourt mates.

But it takes two to tango, as they say, and so far the Wizards have shown no inkling of letting Beal go.

"It's never crossed our mind," Washington interim president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard told The Athletic's Ben Standig. "Bradley is somebody we're building around."

Perhaps that tone changes if Beal declines the three-year, $111 million contract extension for which he's eligible later this month. But even if that bridge is crossed, Miami might be an unlikely destination given its lack of coveted assets.

Cavs Not Interested in Trading Kevin Love?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are one year into their post-LeBron James rebuild. Kevin Love now looks out of place in Northeast Ohio as a 30-year-old owed more than $28 million in each of the next four seasons.

One might assume, then, the Cavs would be eager to deal him. Apparently, that couldn't be much further from the truth.

"While it's not wise to use the never term in this ever-changing league, the Cavs don't want to trade Love," Chris Fedor wrote for Cleveland.com.

Fedor added the Cavs would consider an offer if they "are blown away," with sources saying they want a combination of young players and draft picks in return.

That might mean he's functionally off the market, then. In January, a Western Conference executive told Bleacher Report's Ken Berger, "you're not getting an asset for him under any circumstances."

Could the Cavs simply be giving this the best spin possible by saying Love is effectively off limits while knowing he doesn't have a trade market? That could be the case. Or maybe Cleveland sincerely feels, as Fedor discussed, that having Love around eases the pressure on its youngsters and allows them "to develop at a calmer pace."

Perhaps the Cavs are just buying some time for Love's market to come to life. His 2018-19 season was an injury-riddled mess (38.5 percent shooting across 22 games), but maybe he gets himself on track early in 2019-20 and appeals to a win-now team ahead of the deadline.