It’s not a secret that the Houston Rockets are looking to move future Hall of Fame guard Chris Paul this summer.
Whether that happens remains to be seen. It depends a lot on another team being willing to take on a regressing 34-year-old point guard that’s set to earn a combined $123-plus million over the next three seasons.
One team potentially interested in Paul is the Miami Heat, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Technically, the Rockets and Heat might be good trade partners. The Miami duo of Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside are expected to opt into their 2019-20 contracts some time before June 30. The salaries would then alight, at least in some form.
Dragic, 33, is slated to count $19.2 million against the cap next season. He’s not the same ball-dominant point guard as Paul. That would be beneficial to James Harden and the Rockets.
It’s also important to note that the Rockets have put starting center Clint Capela on the block. They’ll need a replacement for him. That could come in the form of a player in Hassan Whiteside who has fallen out of favor in South Beach, but remains one of the best defensive centers in the game. He’s set to count $27.1 million against the cap next season.
The one issue here is Miami’s long-term salary cap flexibility. While Paul has three seasons remaining on his deal, both Dragic and Whiteside are slated to become free agents after the 2019-20 campaign. Miami would demand some assets in addition to Paul. That’s for sure.