Washington Wizards: 3 potential Chris Paul trades to help him contend
By Cem Yolbulan
One of the teams that could use Chris Paul’s services at the point guard position is his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers.
Paul had the best years of his career as a Clipper, forming an extraordinary partnership with Blake Griffin. Chris Paul is not the same player he is now, but he still fits the Clippers’ roster perfectly.
The Clippers desperately need more passing and leadership. The only point guard in their current rotation is Russell Westbrook. Despite Westbrook overachieving in his time with the Clippers, he brings certain fit issues in the half-court. Paul is a much better pick & roll operator and a more efficient half-court scorer. In the Clippers’ best units including Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, Paul is a better fit next to them as a table-setter and shooter.
Westbrook and Paul sharing the point guard duties make sense. Each player brings a different skill set that would give coach Ty Lue a lot of flexibility. Westbrook might not even stay as he is a free agent this summer. Paul could fit right in as his replacement in that case.
What makes the Clippers an ideal trade partner for the Wizards is that they have plenty of options for matching salaries. In this scenario, they send Robert Covington and Marcus Morris Sr. back to the Wizards.
These are the types of players the rebuilding Wizards need to target: overpaid but still productive players. Acquire these players, revive their trade value, and trade them again at the deadline for future assets.
Covington’s contract expires at the end of the season, anyway. And Morris is way past his prime, and he might possibly never be a contributor for a serious team again. But still, their contracts are much more movable than Paul’s, so it’s worth doing the trade nevertheless.