OKC Thunder: Regrading Russell Westbrook trade to Rockets – one year later

Proving the critics wrong

When the trade occurred suddenly the Rockets were anointed title threats while the OKC Thunder were relegated to the bottom of the West. Pundits assumed Sam Presti would institute an all-out tanking objective trading away all the expensive assets and rebuilding from scratch.

The more cynical analysts implied Chris Paul was on the decline and that any trading partner would need ample sweetener in the form of several of the draft assets picked up in the Paul George trade.

Factoring in his $123,753,442 salary ( $38,506,482 in 2019-20, $41,358,814 in 2020-21 and $44,211,146 in 2021-22) was due over the next three seasons. The final year featuring a player option that no one in their right mind would give up especially the president of the NBPA who went to great lengths to ensure the caveat that essentially changed the over 36 rule to the over 38 rule. For those who enjoy the minute salary cap and Collective Bargaining semantics, Larry Coon offers the most detailed description.

To put it simply, those who suggested Russell Westbrook’s supermax contract was an albatross tied to the OKC Thunder franchise simply switched out his name for Chris Paul’s.

However, there were a few minor details that were either ignored or unknown about the Wake Forest alum. Paul had been plagued with an ‘injury-prone’ tag. Not since the 2014-15 campaign had CP3 performed in all 82 regular-season games.

Hamstring injuries had wreaked havoc on the Point God in recent years forcing him out of Game 6 of the 2017-18 playoffs and for 17 games last season. In fact, Paul had only managed to register 58 games in both Rockets’ seasons. A benchmark he’s already surpassed in OKC – missing only one of the teams 64 games as he dealt with his grief over the untimely passing of friend Kobe Bryant.