By Jordan Long
The Houston Rockets are going to acquire point guard Chris Paul from the L.A. Clippers in a sign and trade. The Rockets will send Sam Dekker, Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams to the Clippers. The Clippers wanted to receive something back for Paul rather than see him leave for nothing since he opted out of his current contract.
This is an excellent deal for the Houston Rockets. Chris Paul is one of the best point guards in the league. He averaged 18.1 points, 9.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds last year for the Clippers. With his leadership, L.A. went 51-31, 3rd in the Western Conference. Unfortunately they went one and done, losing to the Utah Jazz in 7 games. In those playoff games, Paul scored 25.3 points and added 9.9 assists and 5 rebounds per game.
The Rockets were looking to upgrade the team. They have an All-Star in James Harden. Harden averaged 29.1 points, 11.2 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game. The Rockets made it to the second-round before falling to the San Antonio Spurs.
The Rockets knew that Harden couldn’t be the only superstar on the team to guide them further in the playoffs. They needed to add a piece or two around him to make them a threat in the Western Conference. Chris Paul improves this basketball team by driving on opponents and creating opportunities for James Harden to be open. Paul will find him to score points for easy buckets. Paul and Harden might be the top tandem in the NBA.
On paper this makes the Rockets a more competitive team and might help them win the NBA title. This move may not close the gap on the Golden State Warriors. The Rockets right now still need to upgrade but it is a step in the right direction. This trade may end up helping the Rockets go all the way to the Western Conference Finals next season. This would be the furthest they have gone in the NBA Playoffs since winning back to back titles in 1994 and 1995. The way this transaction is successful is if the Rockets appear in the NBA Finals in the next few years. If they fail to do so, it was a wasted trade.
What do you think of the Houston Rockets acquiring Chris Paul?
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