With the Chris Paul situation unresolved, a crazy solution could end up finishing the problem. Will a James Harden for Chris Paul swap work this offseason? What are the trade-offs for both teams? How likely is this situation?
As reported by Jake Fisher of Yahoo! Sports, a wild sign-and-trade for the Phoenix Suns and Chris Paul could be in the works.
Among people in the NBA, some have the belief that Paul may be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for James Harden. That's an idea that "has quietly circulated around some league personnel since the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago."
As Fisher notes in his article, Harden would stand to lose out on long-term money that he could get by signing with the Rockets or even returning to the Sixers on a long-term deal. Still, this option remains possible. Kevin Durant and James Harden didn't leave on bad terms.
It has been reported that the Suns are a contender for Harden's services this offseason. It seems that they are a distant third after the Sixers and Rockets closely tied for first. It is unknown which place Harden prefers.
Would a Chris Paul-James Harden sign-and-trade make sense?
The basketball fit wouldn't make that sense due to the fact that the Suns need depth on their team rather than another star. If the Suns were to make this move, they would be fully committing to the three-star model rather than the two-star model with depth.
For the Sixers, this possible move would make a lot of sense for the team if they were to lose Harden this offseason. While Paul isn't what he used to be, he still could be a reliable part of a championship roster. Tyrese Maxey would need to take a leap in play but it doesn't seem completely out of the ordinary for a team with Paul as their third-best player winning a championship.
Although this is an option, it seems like the most likely thing that will happen is that Paul will remain a Sun on a reduced salary after being waived. It is very possible that he ends up on another team after being waived but at the end of the day, Paul will be a championship contender.