OKC Thunder: Chris Paul contract and season grades

Contract Grade

The Paul contract is one of the hardest in the NBA to grade. Obviously, Sam Presti had nothing to do with signing Paul’s deal, He did take it on by trading Russell Westbrook. A lot has been made of Paul being 35 on such large money.

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Well, he showed what a true point guard can do for a franchise. His mentorship, leadership, and on-floor coaching led the OKC Thunder to win numerous games they had no business being competitive in. He imparted his knowledge to not just the younger players but Dennis Schroder as well.

Now that the OKC Thunder is looking for a new coach, keeping Paul and his contract around may be beneficial. The Thunder could go left of center in their coaching hire because Paul is such a good on floor presence.

Contract grade: B+

Season grade

In one of the most difficult seasons in the history of the sport, Chris Paul was able to put everything aside and play great basketball. At the age of 35 and often the smallest player on the court, he was the most clutch player in the entire league.

On top of this, Paul lost an incredibly close friend in Kobe Bryant and was still able to focus on basketball. This man put together a season of basketball which may go unnoticed in 20 years’ time.

Given his aging body, COVID-19, the loss of Kobe, and everything else, this could be one of the most significant seasons played by someone in an OKC Thunder uniform. For me, it is up there with the Westbrook MVP season. Players will want to come to OKC to play with Paul.

Season grade:  A+