In a blockbuster trade this morning the Houston Rockets acquired superstar point guard Chris Paul from the LA Clippers.
In exchange, the Rockets deal point guard Patrick Beverley, guard Lou Williams, forward Sam Dekker and a 2018 first round draft pick to the Clippers.
This trade came together fairly quickly after Chris Paul announced his intention to opt out of his contract with the Clippers and informed them that he intended to sign with the Rockets as a free agent.
Instead, Paul opts into the final year of his contract (worth $24.2 million) and remains eligible for a five-year deal worth an estimated $205 million from the Rockets after this season.
Had he opted out, the most you could have gotten was $152 million over 4 years.
The 32-year-old Paul, one of the NBA’s top point guards, made the All-NBA first team three times, All-NBA second team two times and All-Defensive first team six times. He’s averaged 18.7 points, 9.8 assists and 2.4 steals over the six seasons with the Clippers.
The Rockets are now reportedly aggressively going after Paul George to complete their new big three. Carmelo Anthony is also an option, should he be bought out by the Knicks.
For the Clippers, this marks a turning point for the franchise.
Two summers ago, center DeAndre Jordan was, essentially, locked in his home by Blake Griffin and Paul, in order to keep the Mavericks away from him prior to free agency.
Now, after the Paul trade and Griffin opting out of his contract, Jordan appears to be the focal point, surrounded by the likes of Austin Rivers, Patrick Beverley, and Brandon Bass.
Expect the Clippers to try and deal Jordan to kick off a full-scale rebuild.
