NBA Rumors: Secret Chris Paul Blockbuster Trade Reportedly Swirling Within League Circles - AthlonSports.com
Prominent NBA insider Chris Haynes reported this week that the Suns are waiving Chris Paul. However, Phoenix's new head coach, Frank Vogel, dismissed that report in an interview on Saturday.
“We did not waive Chris [Paul]… He’s just one of the great winners our game has ever seen… I’m really hopeful to have an opportunity to work with him," Vogel said.
So what's the deal here? There's a rumor the Suns are exploring a blockbuster trade... and a return player could already be in mind.
A Suns trade with Philadelphia that would swap Paul for James Harden has been "quietly" circulating within NBA circles since the NBA Draft Combine, per Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer.
“There’s the idea of Phoenix exchanging Paul for James Harden, which has quietly circulated around some league personnel since the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago,” Fischer wrote. “A reunion between Harden and (Kevin) Durant makes for great fodder, and the bearded point guard could feasibly pick up his 2023-24 player option on the condition Philadelphia trades him to the Suns. You may remember Paul pulled that exact maneuver to join Harden in Houston in 2017. Harden, though, stands to gain quite a bit more financially from either staying pat with the 76ers or returning to the Rockets and their $60-plus million in waiting cap space.”
The only issue here is the relationship between Harden and Kevin Durant. Would the two really team up for a third time? That seems unlikely unless Durant wants to make it work this time around.
The NBA offseason is almost among us. Buckle up for more trade rumors.
Source: Athlon Sports
