Report: Sixers Have “Seriously Debated” A Chris Paul Trade
Trading Al Horford has been something that has been tossed around a lot regarding the Sixers. His fit on the team never really worked, and his price tag is high for a backup position.
One name that has been thrown in Horford trades is current Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul. The Thunder recently parted ways with their head coach Billy Donovan, indicating they plan to go into a rebuild. This move makes it pretty clear that OKC will look to move the All-Star point guard this offseason.
Reports have popped up that the Sixers might be in the mix to trade for the 34-year-old Paul. NBA writer for The Ringer Kevin O'Connor reported that the Sixers have "seriously debated the idea of chasing a trade" for Chris Paul.
Swapping Horford's contract for Paul's will be expensive, but adding an elite-level guard would greatly improve the Sixers. Also, Paul's contract is one year shorter than Horford's.
The Sixers have limited assets, which is going to make acquiring Paul no easy task. Along with Horford, the Sixers will have to send multiple draft picks, and young talent like Zhaire Smith to make the money work.
Paul is owed 85 million dollars over the next two seasons, eating into what little cap space the Sixers have to work with. But if Paul can still play even close to the level he played at this season he could be a big boost to the Sixers.
Out of all the situations to trade Al Horford and get something of good value in return, this is one of the best. Paul is an All-Star guard that has shown he can be a leader on and off the floor. Elton Brand has traded for big-name stars in the past, time to see if he can pull it off again.
Kevin McCormick is the 76ers insider for 97.3 ESPN and 76ers editor for Sportstalkphilly.com. Follow him on Twitter @KevinMcC973.
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