Thunder's Chris Paul on Trade Rumors: 'If Something Happens, It Will'

Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul said Thursday he's not paying attention to the trade rumors ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season.

"Man, I'm going into year 16, so I've heard just about every rumor you could possibly hear," Paul said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. "You learn to control what you can control. I'm training, getting ready for the season. If something happens, it will. If not, I love being in Oklahoma with our team."

Fallon, a New York City native, then suggested Paul would look good in a New York Knicks jersey, but the 10-time All-Star wouldn't bite.

"Jimmy, I don't know. You know probably more than I do," Paul said with a laugh.

Here's a look at the full interview (trade talk starts at the 4:15 mark):

ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps reported Tuesday discussions between the Thunder and Phoenix Suns about a potential Paul trade had started to "gather traction" but that no finalized agreement was imminent.

The Knicks have also been rumored as a potential landing spot for the Wake Forest product, but New York's front office is "wary of giving up too many assets" that could harm its future pursuits of other high-profile trade targets, per Ian Begley of SNY.

Paul is coming off an efficient first season running the OKC offense, where he averaged 17.6 points, 6.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.6 threes across 70 appearances. He ranked fifth among all NBA players and led all point guards in ESPN's real plus-minus.

The 35-year-old North Carolina native's assist numbers dipped a bit while splitting ball-handling duties with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder, but his other stats were right in line with his career averages across prior stints with the New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets.

Paul has one guaranteed season left on his four-year, $159.7 million contract, which includes a player option for the 2021-22 season.

He makes more sense as an option for the Suns than the Knicks.

Phoenix raised eyebrows by going 8-0 in the bubble, and while the late surge wasn't enough to earn a playoff berth, it increased expectations heading toward next season.

Allowing Paul to take over an offense that also features Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges would give the Suns a chance to make some serious noise in the loaded West.

Meanwhile, the Knicks aren't ready to contend at this stage. New team president Leon Rose has a couple of years of roster reconstruction to oversee before they reach that level, so saving those trade assets for when the franchise is in a more competitive position is probably the right decision.

Whether it's the Suns or another contender, the recent buzz suggests Paul will be on the move before the NBA tips off the new season Dec. 22.