NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Possible Chris Paul Trade, JR Smith and More
This should be the hibernation period for the NBA, but this is the league that never sleeps.
Despite a hyperactive start to the summer, the Association's rumor mill has yet to go quiet.
In fact, the latest blurbs surround an All-Star regular and an NBA champion. We'll break them down below.
All Quiet on the Chris Paul Front
Chris Paul seemed a logical trade candidate the second he landed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Russell Westbrook deal.
The Thunder are seemingly heading toward a rebuild, and Paul is sort of the league's anti-rebuilding piece. The nine-time All-Star's 34th birthday is behind him and has at least $79.8 million in guaranteed salary in front of him (plus a $44.2 million player option for his age-36 season of 2021-22).
He's a lot older and much more expensive than the kind of player OKC wants. The problem is his age-plus-salary combination is a lot for any team to absorb, which has reportedly stalled his trade market and opened up the possibility he will spend part or even all of next season with the Thunder.
League sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski trade talks with Paul are "parked," leading each side to consider a longer partnership than expected. "For now, there's a belief that there could be more success exploring trade scenarios again after Dec. 15—or even after the completion of the 2019-20 season," Wojnarowski wrote.
The Thunder reportedly don't feel the need to give up draft compensation in a Paul contract, which seems like it would be a must given how much he's owed. Plus, OKC hopes to remain competitive and sees him as a possible mentor for 21-year-old point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
While a Paul trade is likely coming at some point, it could be further in the distance than anyone anticipated.
Bucks Meet With JR Smith
It feels like forever ago that JR Smith was making substantial NBA news.
The Cleveland Cavaliers exiled him in November and finally waived him Monday after failing to find a trade. Even then, we haven't heard much about his possible next destination other than that the Los Angeles Lakers were "unlikely" to be it, per Wojnarowski.
Now, we have the identity of at least one interested party. The Milwaukee Bucks met with Smith on Thursday and hope to add a veteran shooter, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Smith isn't as far removed from relevance as it seems. He started for an NBA finalist in 2017-18. Two years prior, he averaged double-digit points and shot 40 percent from three for the NBA champs.
Maybe the 33-year-old has aged in dog years since. Prior to his November banishment, he looked awful in a limited sample (34.2/30.8/80.0 shooting across 11 games). But he has 130 playoff contests under his belt and impressive career marks for three-point volume (2.0 makes per game) and efficiency (37.3 percent).
It would hardly be shocking for the Bucks or another win-now team to give him a look.
Christian Wood Might Be Keeper for Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are the latest team to see whether they can be the one that helps Christian Wood put it all together.
Detroit claimed the 6'10" combo big man off waivers Wednesday, and Pistons.com's Keith Langlois dubbed the 23-year-old the new "front-runner to take the 15th roster spot."
Wood has size, length and athleticism, and he's been productive whenever given the opportunity. While he's played just 51 games across three NBA seasons, his career per-36-minutes averages include 19.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
This past season, he took a blow torch to the G League, providing the Wisconsin Herd with 29.3 points on 55.9 percent shooting, 14.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.2 blocks a night over 28 games.
The New Orleans Pelicans took a flier in late March and gave him his biggest chance to date. He responded with 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds over 23.6 minutes in eight contests.
The Pistons could use another frontcourt reserve alongside Markieff Morris and Thon Maker, and Wood has the talent to play his way into a regular rotation spot.
