The Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers and (to a lesser extent) Phoenix Suns made waves on Wednesday with a major three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee and Jrue Holiday and DeAndre Ayton to Portland.
Portland, though, is clearly rebuilding. Many are already projecting them to deal Holiday, a 33-year-old with two years and more than $72 million left on his contract.
The star defensive guard will have a host of suitors. It begs the question, why not the Warriors? Some in the media, like Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, have already suggested there’s a fit. It would obviously include someone like Jonathan Kuminga and/or Moses Moody and draft picks.
But the Warriors reportedly like Chris Paul, and any trade would obviously have to include him.
So, does a Paul-for-Holiday deal make sense? Marc J. Spears joined Tolbert and Copes on Wednesday and assessed the potential framework.
While the main question is whether the Warriors’ offer of Paul is compelling to a rebuilding team, Spears actually things Paul would be an enticing piece to Portland. He suggested he’d make an excellent mentor to rookie guard and No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson.
“You know what I will say this though, and Chris will get mad for me saying this: I think if you got Chris Paul, Chris Paul is like Damian Lillard and what I mean by that is, he may not be happy to be there, but he’s still gonna do his job and he’s still gonna play,” Spears said. “So if Chris is on a one-year deal, and you can have him mentor Scoot [Henderson] for a season, I mean, that’s that’s a pretty good guy to have mentor. And Chris showed you in Oklahoma City, that he could be professional and do that.”
He clarified that he’s heard no rumblings of that being a potential deal, just that he’d see the appeal for Portland.
“But I mean that’s interesting,” Spears said. “To have Jrue coming off the bench will be sick for the Warriors, but I haven’t heard of that as possible. But if I’m if I’m Portland I would be interested. That being said, I mean, he has Chauncey there already. But Chris would be a hell of a mentor to have for you. I don’t know if there’s a better one you could get. So I mean, if I’m Portland I would be interested in that.”
The Warriors’ interest would be obvious. They’d be getting a five-time All-Defense guard who would be five years younger than Paul and likely able to hold up better over the course of the season. The questions are whether they want to part with Paul, and if Portland would be interested in him compared to other offers they’re set to receive.
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