Chris Paul Trade Rumors: Thunder, Bucks Have Had 'No Traction' on Possible Deal
If the Milwaukee Bucks are trying to acquire Chris Paul this offseason, they aren't in a rush to get a potential deal done.
Per ESPN's Zach Lowe, it's unclear if the Bucks have even called the Oklahoma City Thunder to discuss Paul.
"There has been no traction so far—and maybe not even any talks—on any deal sending Chris Paul from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Bucks, multiple sources say," Lowe wrote.
There has been speculation throughout the offseason that the Bucks could pursue the 35-year-old, though some of that discussion likely dates back to last year.
The Ringer's Ryen Russillo said in October that he "heard (Paul) wanted to go to Milwaukee" before being traded to the Thunder.
Following the Bucks' second-round playoff loss to the Miami Heat, The Athletic's Eric Nehm and Sam Amick reported it was "highly unlikely" they would go after Paul because of his high salaries over the next two seasons and a potential personality clash with Giannis Antetokounmpo:
"The cost of bringing him aboard—Paul is owed $41.3 million next season and has a player option worth $44.2 million in the 2021-22 campaign—and the potential difficulty of bringing Paul onto a roster already led by a strong personality in Antetokounmpo seems to limit the chances of the Bucks moving to pair the two All-Stars. All indications are that the Bucks would rather look elsewhere."
Antetokounmpo's contract status is hovering over everything happening in Milwaukee. The reigning two-time NBA MVP is eligible to sign a supermax extension this offseason, but he can become a free agent after the 2020-21 season if he decides to play things out.
Paul is coming off a terrific season with Oklahoma City. The 10-time All-Star averaged 17.6 points and 6.7 assists per game. His 48.9 field-goal percentage was his best since the 2009-10 season.
