CP3 (officially) to Phoenix

[D-Train35]

Suns acquire CP3 as Rubio, Oubre head to OKC

The Suns on Monday acquired All-Star guard Chris Paul and Abdel Nader from the Thunder in exchange for Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and a 2022 first-round pick.

www.espn.com

oubre, rubio, and a 22 1st

love this for the suns and chris paul, it makes too much sense

 

[AirNik]

This trade is bad and Suns should feel bad about it. How much money are they saving with this?

 

[bdiddy5115]

I like it for Phoenix too. If the rumors about Booker getting antsy had any truth, this was the type of deal they needed to make. I think they're in for a big jump if CP3 plays like he did last year, and DeAndre Ayton is gonna benefit the most. Cam Johnson and Bridges are young and will get a lot more open looks, and Booker is Booker -- and we saw SGA/Schroder work well with old-CP3 last year.


CP3 is a structure-bringer. The Suns have had young talent but little structure for years now. Salary problems or not, this was a solid risk to take, since Oubre is probably gonna get overpaid in FA anyways.

Plus they still have their #10 pick -- and they should have some options there, either for a plug-and-play guy (Vassell, Okoro, Toppin if he slips) or to take a flier on upside (K.Hayes if he slips, P.Williams etc). I could even see them grabbing Lewis (or Hayes) and letting them learn from CP3 for a few years, making the transition a lot easier

 

[AirNik]

Comp of SGA/Schroeder to Booker pains me, bruh. Those are secondary ball handlers by nature. Paul is going to gum up PHX and feud with their young stars. I guarantee it.

they’ll be a high-40s win team (control for reduced schedule) and lose in the first round, but withassets shipped out. Without Paul they’re the same team, amd he’s gonna keep getting older.

 

[legends4111]

OKC ending up getting three 1st's and two swaps for Westbrook

 

[bdiddy5115]

Comp of SGA/Schroeder to Booker pains me, bruh. Those are secondary ball handlers by nature. Paul is going to gum up PHX and feud with their young stars. I guarantee it.

they’ll be a high-40s win team (control for reduced schedule) and lose in the first round, but withassets shipped out. Without Paul they’re the same team, amd he’s gonna keep getting older.

Booker has a strong on-ball and off-ball arsenal. He's probably had to create more on-ball than he should've because he was playing with average PGs his whole career. Him sacrificing some on-ball time for the sake of the team is probably good for him, after 5 seasons on non-playoff teams. He's still gonna be the man -- and I'm willing to bet Ayton's gonna benefit so much from CP3 that any adjustment Booker has to make will be more than made up by that.


Not to mention they really don't have any other ball-handlers -- Booker will have more than enough time on-ball with old man Paul playing like 30mpg.

And what was the alternative? Keep racking up young assets without any structure or leadership, and seeing half of them pan out while the other half fizzle out (Bender, Josh Jackson, Len etc)?

 

[AirNik]

Booker has a strong on-ball and off-ball arsenal. He's probably had to create more on-ball than he should've because he was playing with average PGs his whole career. Him sacrificing some on-ball time for the sake of the team is probably good for him, after 5 seasons on non-playoff teams. He's still gonna be the man -- and I'm willing to bet Ayton's gonna benefit so much from CP3 that any adjustment Booker has to make will be more than made up by that.


Not to mention they really don't have any other ball-handlers -- Booker will have more than enough time on-ball with old man Paul playing like 30mpg.

And what was the alternative? Keep racking up young assets without any structure or leadership, and seeing half of them pan out while the other half fizzle out (Bender, Josh Jackson, Len etc)?

I think you run Booker and Ayton back for a few months and then try to pick up an actual needle-mover at the deadline rather than this. I'd rather go to war with Beal, Simmons, (recovered) Oladipo, or even Love than this.

 

[DaaaaaBears]

No-brainer trade for the Suns, especially with the protections on the pick.

 

[dab7291993]

Phoenix got better. Worth over-paying CP3.

OKC finds itself in a good spot asset wise but it can go awry in a flash imo. I don't think SGA and Oubre are A-Tier talent to build around but I don't see them being one of the worst teams in the NBA getting top 5 picks. If all their picks materialize as mid-1st rounders they have less ammo to acquire a big time talent. I think they need to tear it down a bit.

If an age-appropriate, high caliber player becomes available they should throw some of their haul at the opportunity and really solidify their core. Worst case scenario they have several mid-to-late first rounders through 2022.

If Houston trades Westbrook and Harden, and bottoms out and lands a top 4 pick, that Houston pick may not convey until 2024. If Houston doesn't tear it down and make the playoffs again, it's not that valuable of a pick until maybe 2024. I'm not shitting on OKC at all, they're in a good situation. I really think they should tear it down as far as they can, and secure a high pick of their own.

i guess my main point is you never know how picks in the next 6 years are gonna play out, and I think if they get a shot at a star they have a ton of ammo. Some of these picks coming in the next 3 drafts may be way more valuable before the pick occurs.

 

[TabathaFiat]

Comp of SGA/Schroeder to Booker pains me, bruh. Those are secondary ball handlers by nature. Paul is going to gum up PHX and feud with their young stars. I guarantee it.

they’ll be a high-40s win team (control for reduced schedule) and lose in the first round, but withassets shipped out. Without Paul they’re the same team, amd he’s gonna keep getting older.

Phoenix doesn't have young stars. They one (very good) young star, and he loves and respects Chris Paul, and Chris Paul wants to play with him. Ayton's feelings don't carry any weight yet; he still has too much to prove. The only risk is that Ayton cracks under the pressure of playing with CP3, but he's generally responded well when Booker gets on his ass and doesn't seem have the kind of ego that would cause problems there. I think it's more likely that Ayton benefits from this.

And like diddy said, Booker is a willing and very capable off-ball threat. He was great alongside Rubio and had a super efficient season due at least in part to not having to create too much of his own offense like in years past. CP3 should make Booker's life even easier since teams will pay plenty of defensive attention to him, unlike Rubio who barely gets guarded.

My only major concern is with Paul's health holding up. But as far as the outgoing assets, I'm really not sweating giving up one fairly well-protected pick and two average players who aren't part of the team's future. Especially after seeing some of these other deals tonight (Jrue Holiday yielding 3 firsts and 2 pick swaps is kinda shocking), I don't think this is any sort of fleecing by OKC/Presti the way some people are making it out to be.

And with OKC, they have an absurd collection of picks, and a nice starting point for a rebuild with SGA, but the hardest part of "the process" is actually building a great team out of it. This is a team that very recently employed Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Paul George. How long will it take, even with all these assets, to find another player of that caliber, let alone the two you need to approach contention? Not trying to say they are in a bad spot or something but I feel like we slightly overrate the impressiveness of certain front offices when they are in pure asset collection mode and not really worrying about what their basketball team looks like next season.

 

[AirNik]

Jrue would be better for PHX than Paul, among many others, is my point. They went for name over fit.

 

[simms2bavaro]

Are they better, though? I can be talked into it but I'm not sure. I get that Rubio provided exactly what the Suns needed going into 19-20 and Paul's better at all those things, but who replaces Oubre? Paul's not so much of an upgrade that you won't miss him. How high are we on Bridges? I've barely seen him play.

 

[dab7291993]

Are they better, though? I can be talked into it but I'm not sure. I get that Rubio provided exactly what the Suns needed going into 19-20 and Paul's better at all those things, but who replaces Oubre? Paul's not so much of an upgrade that you won't miss him. How high are we on Bridges? I've barely seen him play.

To be fair, Oubre was the 15th overall pick 5 years ago.

They still have their #10 overall, Bridges, and Saric at their forward spots. They definitely need some depth but Ayton and Booker are legit. Paul brings that veteran presence and skill which will probably propel them into the playoffs. It makes sense to reach for a playoff spot when you've been rebuilding for a decade.

OKC doesn't make the playoffs last year with Jrue Holiday instead of CP3.

 

[TabathaFiat]

Are they better, though? I can be talked into it but I'm not sure. I get that Rubio provided exactly what the Suns needed going into 19-20 and Paul's better at all those things, but who replaces Oubre? Paul's not so much of an upgrade that you won't miss him. How high are we on Bridges? I've barely seen him play.

People are super high on Bridges. I wouldn't be surprised if made an all-defensive team next season, and he's a very smart complementary player on offense. He's already flat-out better than Oubre, and he's set to be one of the premier 3nD wings for years to come. And Cam Johnson had a nice rookie season and really popped off in the bubble (where the Suns went 8-0 without Oubre) when he started at PF. I like him more than Oubre long-term, I think he'll probably be better in the near future if not now. I love Oubre but he often gets tunnel vision on offense and is overrated on defense. Cam brings elite shooting and a nice all-around game on offense. He's been better than advertised going into the draft defensively too.

On top of that, Oubre was going to be a free agent in 2021 anyway, so it's really unlikely that the Suns would want to pay to keep him when they have two good young wings on rookie deals. So it's smart to move him now before he leaves.

To be fair, Oubre was the 15th overall pick 5 years ago.

They still have their #10 overall, Bridges, and Saric at their forward spots. They definitely need some depth but Ayton and Booker are legit. Paul brings that veteran presence and skill which will probably propel them into the playoffs. It makes sense to reach for a playoff spot when you've been rebuilding for a decade.

OKC doesn't make the playoffs last year with Jrue Holiday instead of CP3.

Yeah CP3 was significantly better than Jrue last season and the Bucks had to give up 3 firsts, 2 pick swaps, and Bledsoe to get him. I love Jrue but I'd pass on that deal. Obviously the Bucks have a certain agenda to improve the team in the short term though.

 

[BuffRustpeck]

Jrue would be better for PHX than Paul, among many others, is my point. They went for name over fit.

Phoenix trading a ton of assets for Jrue Holiday doesn't make them a better team next year. They're not contending for a title and they want to build some type of culture and make a playoff appearance. Trading much less for Paul is the right move to make. The typical Suns move would be them dealing Bridges, #10, future picks + salary filler for Holiday. I give them credit for not doing the typical Suns thing. Good for them.

I also think the 20-21 Suns would have a better chance of making some crazy miracle playoff run with Chris Paul.

 

[TabathaFiat]

Expecting the Suns to still add some guard depth (was really hoping they would have done something like sign and trading Baynes for George Hill), but the Jae Crowder signing is pretty great as the major FA move.

CP3 / ??? / Payne
Booker / Carter / ???
Mikal / Cam Johnson
Crowder / Saric / Jalen Smith (will see plenty of Cam at the 4 too I think)
Ayton / Jalen Smith / Saric (flip Dario/Jalen between PF/C depending on matchups I guess)

I like this team a lot! Serious lineup versatility with these wings.

 

[bdiddy5115]

Expecting the Suns to still add some guard depth (was really hoping they would have done something like sign and trading Baynes for George Hill), but the Jae Crowder signing is pretty great as the major FA move.

CP3 / ??? / Payne
Booker / Carter / ???
Mikal / Cam Johnson
Crowder / Saric / Jalen Smith (will see plenty of Cam at the 4 too I think)
Ayton / Jalen Smith / Saric (flip Dario/Jalen between PF/C depending on matchups I guess)

I like this team a lot! Serious lineup versatility with these wings.

I like that team a lot as well. Crowder was a perfect fit for their 4 spot, he should add toughness and spacing, and the frontcourt is 2-deep and versatile.

I never thought I'd be saying this, but a serviceable combo G like Austin Rivers (provided Paul doesn't hate him) would fill out that lineup well. That's who I saw was available based on the FA list (E'Twaun Moore maybe?)

I also think D-Book should up his 3PA to 8-9 per game this year, He definitely has the ability, but if he does, and gets his % back in the high-30s, that's going to add another level of explosiveness to the team.

 

[TabathaFiat]

I like that team a lot as well. Crowder was a perfect fit for their 4 spot, he should add toughness and spacing, and the frontcourt is 2-deep and versatile.

I never thought I'd be saying this, but a serviceable combo G like Austin Rivers (provided Paul doesn't hate him) would fill out that lineup well. That's who I saw was available based on the FA list (E'Twaun Moore maybe?)

I also think D-Book should up his 3PA to 8-9 per game this year, He definitely has the ability, but if he does, and gets his % back in the high-30s, that's going to add another level of explosiveness to the team.

lol they just got E'Twaun. 1 year deal, vet minimum. Good call.

That's the interesting thing about Booker. He's become an incredibly efficient and versatile high volume scorer, but the weakest part of his scoring arsenal is his 3 point shooting. Which is of course odd given his profile coming into the league, not to mention stuff like winning the 3 point contest. But if he can hit numbers close to what you mentioned (high 30s with at least a slight uptick in attempts), that's the clearest path to leveling up his offensive game. I'm excited to see him get more clean looks due to the fact that teams will actually have to guard CP3, unlike Rubio.

 

[bdiddy5115]

lmao what a call on my part amirite


But yeah I don't see any reason why Booker can't shoot that many 3s -- off the catch especially with CP3 there, but off the dribble too. I know he's been dribbling more than he would elsewhere, which seems to result in a lot of tough mid-range shots (which he's great at), but his J is pure out to way past the 3-point line, unlike say, DeRozan, whose J is tailor-made for the 15-20 ft range. From an outside perspective it just seems like like a rhythm thing, since he was always considered a sniper, before the rest of his offensive game rounded out.

 

[D-Train35]

i’m biased toward former orlando players but e’twaun moore is one of the more underrated players around the past several years afaic

 

[simms2bavaro]

Are they better, though? I can be talked into it but I'm not sure. I get that Rubio provided exactly what the Suns needed going into 19-20 and Paul's better at all those things, but who replaces Oubre? Paul's not so much of an upgrade that you won't miss him. How high are we on Bridges? I've barely seen him play.

Oh.

OK, then.

 

[AirNik]

 

[-Faizon-]

Chris Paul is over the hill, what a shit show. Phoenix will be in the lottery again this year.