At 35, the future of Chris Paul is now the topic for basketball buffs. For now, the safest to expect is for the ten-time All-Star to remain with the Oklahoma City Thunder. But in the eyes of some, there is a big possibility that the Thunder will look for trade partners for the veteran guard.
Paul has two years remaining in his contract which roughly amounts to $85.5 million. There is reason to believe that some teams could still be interested in his services but that is a hefty price to pay. For Paul, it is something that he will have to deal with. Some teams could agree to absorb that, ones who have the budget to spare. But for Paul, none of that is in his mind right now. All he cares about is playing ball and considers it a blessing still be around even at his age.
"Man, I just love to hoop. ... You call it twilight years, I call it a blessing," Paul said, shrugging of notions that he is entering the twilight of his NBA career via NBA on ESPN.
There is no question that Paul has already achieved a lot. But the one thing that he may still yearn for is an NBA title. Some teams could put him to good use but most may not be able to afford him. Hence, the best he can do for now is wait until his current deal runs out and perhaps consider signing with a contender on lower pay.
The only hindrance to that is that unless he agrees to a potential buyout, Paul would be 37 by that time. Most know that when players reach this age, playing time is likely to take a hit. He may not get extensive minutes such as the one he got from the Thunder. Last season, he averaged 31.5 minutes in 70 games.
But the surprising thing about his stint is that Paul still managed to put up good numbers. He averaged 17.6 points, 6.7 assists, 5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per outing. For someone that most consider as heading into the NBA twilight, those are impressive statistics.
The Thunder will try to look for suitors as it rebuilds its franchise. The amount due to Paul is so big and OKC could do well to trade that away for multiple young players or future picks. It will not be easy but Paul may not mind. All he cares about is balling for now and enjoying the game.
