Shams: Heat interested in Chris Paul

[Pointgod]

The better question is, is Chris Paul seen as an asset or an albatross with that contract? Typically teams would need to attach a pick to a player with his age, contract and injury history for an expiring. Heat would be nuts to give up a first round pick unless the trade is somehow Paul and Steven Adams for expiring and shorter contracts. That backcourt rotation of Paul, Herro, Waiters and Winslow would be nice.

[BBallFreak]

Heat are over the cap anyway, spending more on CP3 doesn't limit their ability to sign free agents or other talent (they already can't). For over the cap teams the salary CP3 should only matter to ownership (and they seem fine with spending more). The best the Heat can do is to trade their existing expiring assets for longer-term assets for teams that want to dip under the cap ASAP.

In this case, the Heat the season after next would be Goran (if he resigns), Butler, Bam, Herro, Winslow, Waiters, JJ, and Olynyk. They can't add anyone else in FA. They are stuck. So the best they can do is trade some of these guys for a better player (CP3).

You're talking next year. That's wonderful. We don't care about next year's free-agent class. No one really good is hitting the market. It's the year after that we're focused on, and we do have cap space then. Taking on Chris Paul means we wouldn't have it, and would instead have a 37 year old Chris Paul making $44 million. Think about that. That's insane money for a guy likely to be ineffective and injured.

So, in order for Miami to take that deal, they need assets coming back. It's that simple. Our picks, or he's OKC's problem...

I'm talking about this year and next year. You're already over the cap, it doesn't matter how much CP3 makes. The money is irrelevant for the Heat, it's only relevant for OKC because they can save some money.

So then you are just talking quality of players. CP3 is an upgrade on Goran and Waiters and will be for the next 3 years.

First of all, I strongly disagree. I don't think he'll be worth having in 3 years when he's 37 and due $44 million. When you factor in the fact that he hasn't played in more than 60 games in three years and you can see why I'm not that enthusiastic about him. It's a bad contract belonging to an old, injury-prone player.

[zimpy27]

You're talking next year. That's wonderful. We don't care about next year's free-agent class. No one really good is hitting the market. It's the year after that we're focused on, and we do have cap space then. Taking on Chris Paul means we wouldn't have it, and would instead have a 37 year old Chris Paul making $44 million. Think about that. That's insane money for a guy likely to be ineffective and injured.

So, in order for Miami to take that deal, they need assets coming back. It's that simple. Our picks, or he's OKC's problem...

I'm talking about this year and next year. You're already over the cap, it doesn't matter how much CP3 makes. The money is irrelevant for the Heat, it's only relevant for OKC because they can save some money.

So then you are just talking quality of players. CP3 is an upgrade on Goran and Waiters and will be for the next 3 years.

First of all, I strongly disagree. I don't think he'll be worth having in 3 years when he's 37 and due $44 million. When you factor in the fact that he hasn't played in more than 60 games in three years and you can see why I'm not that enthusiastic about him. It's a bad contract belonging to an old, injury-prone player.

He may as well be getting 5m a year. It would affect the Heats ability to bring in more talent the same exact way.

One of the only way the Heat can get better is to move worse players with expiring contracts to rebuilding teams that want to move a better player with a bigger and longer contract.

This is a prime target for them. Wiz might have been if they wanted to rebuild but they don't, Pistons are the same. This is is really it.

Would you feel better if it were Goran, Meyers, JJ, Waiters, an FRP and SRP for CP3 and Gallo. That would be an ECF team:
CP3, Butler, Winslow, Gallo, Bam - Herro, Jones, Olynyk

[illuminati666]

They should get him, what else are you going to do for the next 4 years. They should also do it sooner rather than later, why wait till after training camp

[NCHeels2008]

If I was OKC I would just hold onto Paul unless they get decent assets or a PG vet leader back. Paul is great for developing SGA and if the longshots are going to catch on this is their best chance (T Furg, Diallo, Noel).

[MoneyTalks41890]

If I was OKC I would just hold onto Paul unless they get decent assets or a PG vet leader back. Paul is great for developing SGA and if the longshots are going to catch on this is their best chance (T Furg, Diallo, Noel).

FWIW I am much more interested in getting Schroder off the team for this reason. CP would be a great mentor for SGA. Schroder will likely complain about PT and stunt SGA's development.

[Johnny Bball]

Apparently asking/wanting to trade for Chris Paul at any time when he's under contract is tampering, so they better be careful.

[Plutonashfan]

I think a good compromise would be for CP3 to opt out of that final year of his contract and then the teams can make some type of even trade. If CP3 ever wants to go to a team where he can compete again, he’ll probably need to do that anyway. Would it be against the rules for him to agree to opt out and then officially agree to a lower amount for that final year, or no? Would he just have to opt out and trust them? I’m pretty sure I read that he can officially opt out now - doesn’t need to wait till years from now.

Wait can he even do that like right now. It would make a huge difference in possible trade options.

[NBAFan93]

I think a good compromise would be for CP3 to opt out of that final year of his contract and then the teams can make some type of even trade. If CP3 ever wants to go to a team where he can compete again, he’ll probably need to do that anyway. Would it be against the rules for him to agree to opt out and then officially agree to a lower amount for that final year, or no? Would he just have to opt out and trust them? I’m pretty sure I read that he can officially opt out now - doesn’t need to wait till years from now.

Wait can he even do that like right now. It would make a huge difference in possible trade options.

I can’t remember the article, but I think I read that he could and was actually asked if he would to facilitate some trades that they were working on over the summer - and that he said no. But maybe after enough time passes he will rethink.

[BBallFreak]

I'm talking about this year and next year. You're already over the cap, it doesn't matter how much CP3 makes. The money is irrelevant for the Heat, it's only relevant for OKC because they can save some money.

So then you are just talking quality of players. CP3 is an upgrade on Goran and Waiters and will be for the next 3 years.

First of all, I strongly disagree. I don't think he'll be worth having in 3 years when he's 37 and due $44 million. When you factor in the fact that he hasn't played in more than 60 games in three years and you can see why I'm not that enthusiastic about him. It's a bad contract belonging to an old, injury-prone player.

He may as well be getting 5m a year. It would affect the Heats ability to bring in more talent the same exact way.

You're completely wrong. If one player is due $38 million, and three players combined earn the same cash, you have to account for the other two players you're losing. That means the new players need money. You also have to take into consideration the roles that need to be filled and the timing. Then you have to consider that as CP3 gets older, he will become less effective and even more injury-prone.

One of the only way the Heat can get better is to move worse players with expiring contracts to rebuilding teams that want to move a better player with a bigger and longer contract.

This is a prime target for them. Wiz might have been if they wanted to rebuild but they don't, Pistons are the same. This is is really it.

One of, but not the only.

Players change. Situations change.

Last year, CP3 was a happy Rocket. Westbrook was the darling of the Thunder, alongside Paul George. And Anthony Davis was dominating Mardi Gras. Trade demands happen. We're not giving up value and sacrificing flexibility for CP3. We'd need incentives. In other words, we'd need assets to go out an acquire more talent.

I'm not touching CP3 without our picks...

[Darth Celtic]

Gordon Dragic and James Johnson for Paul works straight up in the trade checker. Miami gets upgrade at pg at about the same age, OKC loses lots of salary. win win. Maybe give the heat one of the least desirable 1sts from the clippers or something.

[VDT]

Okc is not going to attach any picks to Paul in order to trade him. In fact i dont see any reason why they would trade Paul for worse players, like people are suggesting, other than to try to accommodate him and give him a chance to compete in his final years.

I am also curious to see what will Riley do. Since Lebron left he has been pretty bad and the Heat are lacking direction.

[Asif16]

Dragic, James Johnson and a Future 1st?

OKC gets rid of salary while accumulating yet another 1st rd pick.
Heat Get Paul

[ProcessDoctor]

The question is: who gets a 1st round pick in this scenario?

Miami for taking on a large contract, or OKC for dealing the best player in the trade?

[MartyConlonJr]

Pretty much the arguments of Heat and OKC fans here are both realistic, which is why it is unlikely to happen.

Heat:
- Want to be players in 21 FA, this would negate it
- Paul gets us better, but not probably good enough to be a contender
- Paul is injured too often, can't give up youth to acquire
- A win now means more moves needed, and Miami needs picks to sweeten the next deal
- Miami would be giving up shorter term assets in any deal, which is OKC's desire to move on, so they want compensation and flexibility for it

OKC:
- Starting a rebuild that will probably take 2 or 3 years so not looking to make cap room to sign big FA, more focused on pick assets
- Basically could absorb salary of Paul, but not playing time with SGA and others on the roster
- Know that Paul is in twilight of career and will cause chemistry problems on a rebuilding team
- Probably also know that he is a positive player in terms of winning that will jeopardise high picks
- Would ideally trade him for same or slightly shorter contracts that would just free him up
- Would probably make more sense just to waive or buy him out than give up 2 picks, with the fact that salary cap is not probably a huge issue during rebuild

OKC probably hoping they can showcase him for 20 games, show that he is still in peak form and that someone will bite on at least a no asset trade to get him out of there, but it is risky because the chance of injury and using up more of the peak end of his remaining contract means offers get worse.

As a Heat fan, I trust my front office and would prefer we don't touch this one either way, but would understand if assets came back why they did it.

[Sign5]

Dragic, James Johnson and a Future 1st?

OKC gets rid of salary while accumulating yet another 1st rd pick.
Heat Get Paul

LOL theres ZERO chance Heat are giving any picks. If anything they'd get a pick back but i dont want this trade to happen at all . 44m for 37 year old grandpa Paul will too much to bear. Let Okc deal with him either stunting sga's growth or literally paying 44m for Paul to ride the bench.

[SK21209]

I hope this doesn't happen since I'm very intrigued by Winslow at PG and Jimmy at SF

[heatwillbeback]

It’s the same garbage 3 months later.

OKC fans think he has positive value, and Miami fans think he has negative value (30 plus million in 2021 messing up the best FA class since 2010).

So obviously, there won’t be any agreement. And unless the Heat start off terribly and panic, I don’t see the team giving up the FA class for the corpse that is Chris Paul.

I wouldn’t give up our garbage that expires after next year for Paul simply because of that last year.

[spikeslovechild]

Miami has no reason to take him. Being interested and being desperate are two entirely different things. I'm interested in Mercedes Benz's, but I'm not buying one. And let's be clear, the one Miami is kicking the tires on is overpriced, prone to needing frequent maintenance, and has 200,000 miles on it. That's not even mentioning the fact that this particular Benz tends to smack up all the other cars in the parking lot, causing them to want to find a different parking lot.

It was said initially that we were interested but were unwilling to do it without our picks coming back to us. OKC was willing, They wanted us to include Bam. That's not happening. My guess is that the two teams have talked since the trade went down on a regular basis but that nothing is going down any time soon.

And you conveniently believe that you're bargaining from a position of strength. You're not. An unhappy Chris Paul - president of the player's union, on that contract, at his age, with his ability to alienate his costars - doesn't give you leverage.

So my advice to you is, by all means, keep him. Let him destroy SGA, Gallo, Adams, and all those nice young pieces you're going to bring in. Have fun...

The OKC are required to reach the floor whether the Heat trade for Paul or don't doesn't make a ton of difference from a strictly financial perspective.

That makes very little sense, considering they're closer to the luxury tax than they are to the floor.

The Heat are also the ones expressing interest.

Do we really need to list the number of players Miami has expressed interest in and not, ultimately, pursued? Obviously, they're interested. They want their picks back and he represents an upgrade. Interest and desperation, however, are not to be confused.

I think they'd like to move Paul to a situation he is comfortable with for the benefit of all involved but they aren't going to trade him and give up assets without getting something valuable back. So if that is the plan everyone should just move on and as the season goes along if Paul still wants to be moved he may expand the teams he would play for.

Again, completely fine, but you won't find a team willing to take that salary without assets attached. I stand firmly by that.

And for edicificatio:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2845733-chris-paul-trade-rumors-heat-want-previously-dealt-picks-from-thunder

Miami wants their picks back. I fail to see what's changed...

1. They have Gallo contract expiring as well as Roberson. If they traded Paul for expirings they'd be well below the floor next season

2. Personally and I said this before the guy who has the most value they should move is Gallo. It doesn't make a ton of sense to trade Paul while giving up picks while keeping Gallo.

In fact if I were them I'd package the two for bad contracts to get some picks back

3. Miami may want their picks back ultimately OKC wants to move Paul but trading him for picks doesn't make sense when they are rebuilding

4. I don't believe this to be true. Paul needs to show he can still play but if he can there will be teams interested with bad contracts like for example the Mavericks. Suns. Pistons.

it's really on Paul to show he can still be a player a contending team would want as their number 2 or 3.

[LipSkinMatter]

It’s the same garbage 3 months later.

OKC fans think he has positive value, and Miami fans think he has negative value (30 plus million in 2021 messing up the best FA class since 2010).

So obviously, there won’t be any agreement. And unless the Heat start off terribly and panic, I don’t see the team giving up the FA class for the corpse that is Chris Paul.

I wouldn’t give up our garbage that expires after next year for Paul simply because of that last year.

Chill with the **** hyperbole. The dude was well above average last season, quite far from a "corpse" in fact.