The NBA trade season has unofficially opened up, and one player stands out amongst the rest as an obvious trade candidate: Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul.
The Clippers previously sent Paul home from a road trip and will now explore trade options as the 40-year-old guard looks to end his Hall of Fame career on a much brighter note. NBA insider Jake Fischer reports that Paul is the most likely to be dealt (subscription required) at the start of trade season as the two parties look to move on from a failed reunion that came to an abrupt halt.
Paul may not have a ring to his resume, but he remains one of the best point guards ever to touch a basketball. He has a unique legacy as someone who has routinely turned around every franchise he's been a part of. And while he's no longer the player he once was, that's the kind of track record the Portland Trail Blazers could use as they look to end a four-year playoff drought.
Chris Paul could be the Blazers' key to the playoffs
Portland currently sits 11th in the Western Conference with a 10-16 record. There's reason for optimism surrounding their play-in chances. They now have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league and are expected to get key pieces back by the new year.
Portland has dealt with unexpected injuries before the season even kicked off, and it has unfortunately snowballed since Scoot Henderson. With Henderson, Blake Wesley, and Jrue Holiday all sidelined, they've had to rely on two-way guard Caleb Love and Deni Avdija in a point-forward role. While Avdija has proven capable of stepping up in that capacity, it's not an ideal situation as the Blazers play without a single traditional point guard.
That's where Paul, the "Point God" himself, could come in as a short-term solution.
It's a similar thought process behind why a rebuilding Blazers team brought in 35-year-old Holiday this summer. Paul can provide a young Blazers team with a calming veteran presence and change the culture from within by helping them play a winning brand of basketball. While he doesn't fit their rebuilding timeline, he's an unselfish table setter who would only boost the development of Portland's youth.
This is a transitional season for the Blazers. They want to be competitive and make a serious run at the playoffs, but emphasize the process rather than the end result. Like Holiday, Paul could come in and serve as a bridge to help accomplish both their short- and long-term goals.
There would be essentially no risk attached to taking him on a cheap one-year deal, beyond the opportunity cost of having to clear a roster spot for him. But the Blazers' lack of depth has been exposed during their injury crisis, and there are multiple players we would feel fine parting ways with at this point.
Paul, even at age 40, could be the needle-mover Portland needs to get back to the postseason. It's not that he's that good anymore -- it's that the Blazers are that depleted in the backcourt. They've already had several games decided by five points or less, and could use someone like Paul to tilt the toss-up games in their favor. Given the thin margin for error in the Western Conference, a seemingly minor addition like Paul could be just the move needed to get the Blazers back to playoff relevance.