Knicks News: Examining Pros and Cons of Potential Chris Paul Trade with Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder appear ready to conduct a complete rebuild, and point guard Chris Paul's name has been discussed in numerous trade rumors recently.

The New York Knicks could be one of the teams involved.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer said that the New York Knicks, who are "in desperate need of a player to lure prospective free agents, could also make a run at him after his former agent, Leon Rose, took over as team president."

ESPN's Royce Young said he believed the Knicks were among three teams to which Paul could be traded in a conversation with ESPN's Brian Windhorst on the Hoop Collective podcast (h/t Adam Hermann of NBC Sports).

News connecting Paul and the Knicks isn't new, with Ian Begley of SNY reporting in April that "some people with the Knicks believe Paul would provide strong leadership for their young players and help jump-start the winning culture that New York wants to establish under president Leon Rose."

We'll see if that comes to fruition, but for now, let's take a look at a pair of pros and cons each to the Knicks acquiring him, along with a verdict.

Pro: It's Chris Paul, and the Knicks Need a PG

The Knicks haven't had a point guard anywhere near Paul's caliber since Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Walt "Clyde" Frazier was leading the team to a pair of NBA titles in the early 1970s.

Paul, 35, isn't showing any signs of slowing down. He led a Thunder team largely expected to miss the playoffs to a 44-28 record and a three-point bucket away from making the Western Conference Semifinals.

The 10-time All-Star averaged 17.6 points on 48.9 percent shooting, 6.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.

He'd be a sorely needed fit for a team that needs a floor general and a strong veteran voice who can lead the team to greater heights.

The Knicks used Elfrid Payton, Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina at point last year, and while all three bring different skill sets to the table, Paul would instantly make the Knicks into an Eastern Conference playoff contender at minimum.

Pro: Mentorship to Knicks' Younger Players

One of the primary reasons the Thunder were able to make the playoffs was the emergence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whom the Thunder picked up in a deal from the Los Angeles Clippers that sent Paul George to L.A.

SGA averaged 19.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists. The former Kentucky star turned 22 years old just two months ago, and he looks like he can emerge as a perennial All-Star within a few years.

Playing and learning from Paul has certainly helped, and the same goes for the rest of his young teammates such as Dennis Schroder, Lu Dort and Darius Bazley.

Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman made note of Paul's influence in a Feb. 13 piece.

"Paul's mentorship of young teammates has played a large role in the Thunder's over-performance this season — although Paul would argue that he expected to win even more games. Paul's fierce loyalty to this group of players is part of his leadership. OKC guard Dennis Schroder said Paul changed the team's culture. Now, the Thunder's rising stars, like Gilgeous-Alexander, are developing in a system influenced by Paul's style of play."

The Knicks have young players who need someone to show them the path to success, including RJ Barrett, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.

New York will presumably add two more young players to their roster with their upcoming first-round selections in the 2020 NBA draft as well. Paul could do wonders for all these players en route to a massive improvement.

Con: The Knicks Aren't Close to Contending, So What's the Point?

The Knicks have been best-served tearing down and building back up their roster over the years, but they've tried to put a Band-Aid on the situation for years with various free-agent signings and big trades that have not come to fruition.

Sure, the Knicks have had some measure of success because of those moves, with New York's three-year run in the postseason from 2011 to 2013 an example after the team traded for Carmelo Anthony and signed Amar'e Stoudemire.

But picking up Paul for the remainder of his prime—however long that may be—isn't going put the Knicks in position to win a title given the current state of the franchise.

If anything, signing him might be a long-term detriment to the team: The Knicks will likely improve enough to threaten for the playoffs—or even make it—but will be out of position to land a top lottery pick.

Con: Will Paul's Game Take a Sharp Decline Soon?

Per Spotrac, Paul is due more than $85.5 million over the next two years should he take his 2021-22 player option. He'll be an unrestricted free agent in 2022.

Paul wouldn't be on any team's books for too long, and teams like the Knicks, who have plenty of cap space to absorb such salaries, can stomach that blow.

But the issue is whether the team can stomach paying that much for a player who has crossed the midway point of his 30s.

Paul has largely been an excellent player for 15 seasons, but he has 1,129 games (including playoffs) and 39,619 minutes on his resume.

At some point, his game is going to take a dip. If it's next year with the Knicks, it could be another long, ugly year in New York with its presumed star player at the helm of another bad team.

Verdict: More Pro Than Con

To be frank, what do the Knicks have to lose at this point?

New York has missed the playoffs for seven straight seasons. The team has won one playoff series in the past 20 years. The Knicks haven't made an NBA Finals since 1999, and their last championship occurred in 1973.

The Knicks were well-positioned to make a superteam of star free agents in the summer of 2019 after creating cap space to go after new players, but they could not pull that feat off.

A team that had too many point guards and power forwards was the result of that offseason, and the team never meshed well during a 2019-20 season that saw the firing of head coach David Fizdale after 22 games.

Unless Paul's game falls off a huge cliff between now and next year, you know what you're getting with him: a stud, future Hall of Fame point guard who can lead the team on and off the court. New York hasn't had that in decades.

Sure, he's not going to lead this team to the promised land overnight, but he can at least help change the losing culture of the franchise and make it a place more attractive for younger free agents as New York looks for its first NBA title in nearly 50 years.

If Paul's available, the Knicks should be calling.