Ever since Russell Westbrook was traded to the Houston Rockets in return for Chris Paul and future draft picks, it was assumed that the Miami Heat could be a potential landing spot for the star veteran.
According to a Wednesday report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, however, it now appears as though the Oklahoma City Thunder are expected to begin the 2019-20 regular season with Paul still on their roster.
Wojnaroski also explained that both the Thunder and Paul are starting to believe that it would benefit both sides if he begins the season with the team. That likely means that they hope that strong and consistent play from Paul will increase his market value prior to the trade deadline.
For Heat fans, this news is likely a bit of a relief. While there were likely many fans that wanted to see current star Jimmy Butler paired with the former All-Star, it cannot be ignored that adding Paul to Miami’s roster would’ve dramatically reduced its options both in the 2020 and 2021 offseasons due to his massive, multi-year contract.
If this current offseason has taught us anything it is that stories and reports can change by the second, so it would be wise not to expect this to be the end of the Paul saga.
At the moment, though, it seems that the Heat are standing pat with the roster they have.
