According to Stephen A. Smith of ESPN, Chris Paul wants out of Houston effective immediately. The noted sports pundit hinted at CP3’s potential exodus during a radio segment that aired on Friday. Bear in mind, Smith alluded to Los Angeles as a possible destination before the Lakers’ brass closed in on a multiplayer deal for perennial All-Star Anthony Davis.
“In the end, it’s this: With Kevin Durant out, with Klay Thompson out for most of the season, one could argue the Houston Rockets now have a window to get to the NBA Finals,” Smith said. “But you’re also hearing Chris Paul wants out, Chris Paul wouldn’t mind going somewhere else, preferably LA, maybe, we don’t know, with LeBron. We don’t know. But you’re hearing he wants out.”
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst tends to agree. “I would never say that CP3’s untradeable,” Windhorst said with some reservation. “He’s tradeable, for sure. But he’s not tradeable in a way that makes their team better.” The term and $ amount on CP3 remains a sticking point. The disgruntled point guard is owed $38.5 million for the 2019-20 NBA season, $41 million in 2020-21 and $44 million in 2021-22. Anthony Davis could take a salary exception this season; if so that would the Lakers with $32 million in cap space, several million short of CP3’s current stipend.
