Paul links up with Booker after trade from Thunder to Suns in six-player deal
Chris Paul has been traded to the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to multiple reports.
The veteran point guard, a 10-time All-Star, was dealt from the Houston Rockets to the Thunder last offseason but is now on the move again to a Suns team with an intriguing young core.
Paul and forward Abdel Nader will head to Phoenix in exchange in exchange for Kelly Oubre Jr, Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome and Jalen Lecque as well as a 2022 first-round pick.
The acquisition of Paul gives the Suns a veteran facilitator for shooting guard Devin Booker and center DeAndre Ayton.
Phoenix went 34-39 last season, their best record since the 2014-15 season, going 8-0 in the NBA bubble after the campaign resumed following the coronavirus-enforced suspension.
They missed out on a return to the playoffs, finishing 10th in the Western Conference, but Paul’s arrival will fuel hopes they can take the next step in 2020-21 as Booker and Ayton continue to develop.
Booker averaged 26.6 points per game for the second successive season, leading the team in that category. Ayton had 18.2 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.
For the Thunder, who lost in seven games in the first round of the playoffs to the Rockets, Oubre gives them another frontcourt scorer to go with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the team leader with 19 points a game in 2019-20.
Rubio can help fill the void at point guard with Dennis Schroder seemingly set to join Paul in leaving for pastures new, the German expected to link up with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Suns hold the 10th overall selection in Wednesday’s draft, while the Thunder will have to wait until pick number 25 to add a rookie to their roster.
