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via Getty

via Getty

Chris Paul will be one of the most tantalizing players available on the trade market this season. Paul seemed to be a massive liability up until last season, with his contract being attacked for being as large as it was. However, he proved the naysayers wrong by leading an underdog Oklahoma City Thunder team to the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Paul received both All-NBA and All-Star honors for his efforts this season.

However, OKC has reaffirmed that they are in a rebuild. Coach Billy Donovan left the team, and Paul may soon follow suit. OKC has been looking for trade partners in teams that will give them future assets for Paul. But it turns out Paul has his own preference, according to the Knicks Film School.

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“I’ve been told by a league source that Chris Paul prefers his next basketball home to be either in LA or NY (Los Angeles is where he resides full time) and that has created some modicum of leverage in the ongoing negotiations between the sides. I’m also told that there is a deal on the table that is comfortable from Sam Presti’s perspective, and the ball is in Leon Rose’s court.”

Has Chris Paul picked his destination?

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Chris Paul is possibly one of the most respected players in the league. He is the President of the NBA Players Association and performs key roles in all union matters. The players look up to him, so he can mentor almost any player instantly. At the same time, he is so supremely talented that his talents shouldn’t go to waste on a young team.

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Those are the options ahead of him. Either he goes to one of the LA teams or the Brooklyn Nets and competes for a title immediately. Or he joins the rebuild in New York, helping the young players mature while making the team an attractive free agent destination in 2021. Paul wouldn’t really fit on the Nets, but all the other moves are likely and would make a lot of sense.

The ball is in Sam Presti’s court now, and we will see what he can get back to the Thunder in exchange for Paul.