Mon, Nov 16, 2020 at 3:45pm

CHRIS PAUL PICKED UP BY PHOENIX

The Phoenix Suns acquired guard Chris Paul and guard/forward Abdel Nader from the Oklahoma City Thunder for forward/guard Kelly Oubre Jr., guards Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome and Jalen Lecque, and a protected first-round draft pick in 2022.

What does it give the Phoenix Suns
Adding veteran Paul to a roster that includes superstar Devin Booker and emerging center DeAndre Ayton could pay huge dividends for the rising Suns. They paid a lot to get the 35-year-old Paul, but Phoenix is now in win-now mode and is looking to move up the Western Conference standings in the major way this season. They need more depth following this trade in order to compete with the likes of the Lakers and Nuggets, though. Nader can play either shooting guard or small forward but may not see much playing time in Phoenix. He was likely acquired to even out the body count.

What does it give the Oklahoma City Thunder
By shipping out Paul, the Thunder are basically completing the rebuilding process that started when they acquired Paul last year in the Russell Westbrook trade. They acquired many future assets in that deal, and again this time around. Rubio is a veteran point guard who might help replace Paul (although Rubio could be moved as well this off-season), but OKC will likely hand the keys to the offense full time to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (acquired from the Clippers in the Paul George trade last year). Oubre Jr. is a quality addition to this young roster, while Jerome and Lecque are backup guard options for new coach Mark Daigneault. The first-round pick in '22 figures to be a late selection, since Phoenix is a team on the move. Still, OKC did very well here considering Paul's age.

Fantasy impact
Paul will likely become the Suns' third scoring option behind Booker and Ayton, so his fantasy stock may be dropping slightly. Meanwhile, Booker and Ayton should benefit greatly from Paul's creative talents, so both are rising towards the top of their respective fantasy positions. Gilgeous-Alexander is another player who should be a lot better from a fantasy perspective with Paul now in Phoenix. Oubre Jr.'s value should remain steady even after this deal, while Rubio could take a hit coming off the bench in OKC (although he could be traded somewhere else, which makes him a fantasy wild card at this point). Jerome, Lecque and Nader have little fantasy value at this time.