Knicks Trade Rumors: Potential Chris Paul Deal Makes Some New York Execs 'Wary'
There's a level of internal trepidation within the New York Knicks about a possible trade for Oklahoma City Thunder star Chris Paul, according to SNY's Ian Begley.
"Some MSG people are wary of giving up too many assets in a Paul deal because they want to ensure that New York has enough capital in place for a future trade for another high-profile player, SNY sources say," Begley wrote.
At this point, it feels like a foregone conclusion the Thunder will trade Paul.
Oklahoma City parted ways with Billy Donovan in September, and general manager Sam Presti said at the time the franchise "couldn't provide him the information on the future direction of the team over the next several seasons to give him the level of clarity that he understandably desires at this stage of his career."
Many took that to mean Presti is planning to start the rebuild that became inevitable after Paul George and Russell Westbrook were dealt.
On Wednesday, OKC announced the hiring of head coach Mark Daigneault, a 35-year-old who had been an assistant to Donovan last year and coached the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA G League. That hints even more at a teardown.
The Knicks have long been floated as a possible destination for Paul because of their reputation for acquiring stars who are on the downside of their careers. Leon Rose, Paul's former agent, is the team president too.
In general, any team should have some level of caution about Paul because of his age and his contract. He turned 35 in May and is due to earn $85.6 million over the next two years if he picks up his 2021-22 player option.
Paul defied the skeptics this past season, averaging 17.6 points and 6.7 assists while helping the Thunder reach the playoffs. It's fair to wonder how much longer he can keep doing that, though, especially when he will have had less downtime during a shortened offseason. CP3 played his last game of the 2020 playoffs Sept. 2, and the 2020-21 campaign is scheduled to begin Dec. 22.
Begley's report also alluded to the fact that the cupboard is pretty bare for the Knicks, both in terms of young stars to develop and more established veterans to fuel a playoff push. Even in the weaker Eastern Conference, the addition of Paul on its own may not be enough to drastically improve New York's postseason odds.
He would make the team better but perhaps not to the extent needed to justify the financial outlay and whatever the Knicks would need to send the Thunder's way.
