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 NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 06: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Chris Paul #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder ... [+] in action against Allonzo Trier #14 of the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 06, 2020 in New York City. The Thunder defeated the Knicks 126-103. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) 
 
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</figure>Let's start here: Chris Paul is one of the greatest point guards of all time. That's not an overstatement. A nine-time All-Star and two-time gold medalist, Paul has been named to the All-NBA team on eight occasions. He has also been named to nine NBA All-Defensive Teams. He ranks first among all active players in assists and is seventh on the NBA's all-time leaderboard (just ahead of LeBron James, and just behind Oscar Robertson). CP3 also ranks first among all active players in steals and is seventh all-time in career thefts. The six players ahead of him (John Stockton, Jason Kidd, Michael Jordan, Gary Payton, Mo Cheeks and Scottie Pippen) are all Hall-of-Famers. Paul is the only player in NBA history to average over 18 points, nine assists, four rebounds and two steals per game for their entire career.And, just when it seemed that CP3 might be slowing down, he reminded folks this season that he's still capable of playing at an elite level. Prior to the suspension of the 2019-20 season, Paul had appeared in 63 out of OKC's 64 games and averaged 17.7 points, 6.8 assists, 4.9 rebounds, while shooting 48.9% from the floor. The only two players to match or exceed those totals in each of those categories this season are LeBron James and Nikola Jokic. <div><div>Today In: SportsMoney</div><ul><li>Sami Zayn, Outspoken Critic Of President Trump, Reportedly Staying Home Due To COVID-19 Concerns</li><li>Florida’s Economic Recovery Task Force Recklessly Recommends Sports Venues Reopen To Fans</li><li>Gareth Bale Hints At Move Away From Real Madrid To MLS</li></ul></div>As the veteran leader of a Thunder team that has dramatically exceeded expectations, Paul has also played exceptionally well when it mattered the most. CP3 leads the entire league in clutch points with 144 and has shot a whopping 53.5% from the field and 93.5% from the line in clutch situations. He holds the best fourth-quarter +/- rating with +169, and his 27 fourth-quarter steals rank tied for second in the league. <figure> 
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 NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 07: Chris Paul #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in action against the ... [+] Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 07, 2020 in New York City. Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) 
 
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</figure><div></div>Chris Paul is nicknamed &#34;The Point God.&#34;New York, on the other hand, has been point guard purgatory for the better part of two decades. Paul has averaged at least 17 points, seven dimes and four boards per game for an entire season nine times in his career. Only one Knicks player has ever averaged 17/7/4 in a single season - that was Walt &#34;Clyde&#34; Frazier back in 1969-70.  In a league that has become more and more reliant on top-tier point guard play to achieve success, the Knicks haven't had a top-tier point guard since before smartphones existed. Consider this depressing fact: Over the last 15 years, from the start of the 2005-06 season through 2019-20, Carmelo Anthony leads the franchise in total assists. Possibly even more alarming, JR Smith ranks third among all Knicks in assists over the last decade. Since parting ways with Stephon Marbury, the only Knick to dish out more than 500 helpers in a single season is Chris Duhon.This season, New York ranks 27th in the NBA in assist average. They also rank 27th in Offensive Efficiency. They've made fewer 3-pointers than every other team in the league. Shoddy PG has plagued them. In 2019-20, there were only ten guards to attempt more than 200 shots yet post an eFG% south of 46%. Four of those ten players (Elfird Payton, Dennis Smith Jr., Frank Ntilikina and RJ Barrett) spent time manning the point for the Knickerbockers. So, thus far, we've proven two things: 1) Chris Paul is a really good point guard. 2) The Knicks desperately need a really good point guard. Yet, while I certainly don't dispute the validity of those facts, the Knicks still shouldn't trade away valuable draft picks or young players in exchange for Chris Paul. Here's why:Chris Paul will make $41,358,814 next season. Worse yet, Paul also has a player option worth $44,211,146 for the 2021-22 campaign.If CP3 had just one year left on his deal, then it would be a far more feasible scenario for New York. But that massive player option (which we all know he'll exercise) should be a deal-breaker. Paul will celebrate his 35th birthday later this week. Assuming he'll stay healthy in his age-35 and then age-36 seasons is a leap of faith. He's dealt with numerous soft-tissue injuries over the last few years. While he's been surprisingly durable in 2019-20, he appeared in only 177 out of a possible 246 games over the previous three seasons. While the New York front office has made countless mistakes and failed to put a winning product on the floor, they have successfully stocked up future first-round picks (seven over the next four years) and avoided taking on any albatross contracts. The Knicks are currently positioned to enter this upcoming offseason (whenever it arrives) with more cap space than every other team in the NBA, other than the Hawks. <figure> 
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 TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 25: Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors looks on during the second half ... [+] of an NBA game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Scotiabank Arena on February 25, 2020 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) 
 
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</figure>While the 2020 free agent crop is undeniably poor, Fred VanVleet is one of the few promising names on the board. Having just celebrated his 26th birthday, VanVleet is just now entering the prime of his career. He's currently enjoying a career year with Toronto, averaging 17.6 points, 6.6 assists, 3.8 boards, 2.7 treys, and 1.9 steals. Per Basketball-Reference, coming into this season, only three players in NBA history had averaged more than 17.5 points, 6.5 dimes, 2.5 triples and 1.5 steals per game: Steph Curry, Baron Davis and James Harden.A career 39.2% shooter from downtown, not only is VanVleet able to distribute the basketball, but he can also stretch defenses. This season, he is shooting 43.7% on catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts. In addition, VanVleet has proven he can step up and play well when the lights shine the brightest. He was incredibly clutch for Toronto during their 2019 title run. He scored 22 points in the series-clinching win, averaged 14.0 points in the Finals, and was the only player other than Kawhi Leonard to receive a Finals MVP vote.VanVleet is also capable of playing either guard position, as he's shown by sharing backcourt responsibilities with Kyle Lowry for most of the last two years. It's easy to envision him alongside Frank Ntilikina in New York, considering their complementary skill sets. New York would also still be able to feel comfortable drafting a point guard with their 2020 lottery pick.Looking at the big picture, VanVleet checks a lot of boxes. The Raptors have let it be known they intend to re-sign VanVleet, but the Knicks will have the opportunity to make Toronto sweat. Given the likely reality that the salary cap will shrink dramatically going forward, due to the billions of dollars in losses as a result of the suspended season, few teams will have cap space to play with this summer. Ultimately, if the Knicks could ink VanVleet to a deal starting at around $18 million, that would be a better allocation of their resources. That's more than half the cap hit of Chris Paul, who is nearly ten years his senior.Paul would certainly improve the team's prospects next season, but they still wouldn't be anywhere close to a true contender. FVV, on the other hand, could grow into a team leader and still be a key contributor while the rest of the young Knicks develop. Furthermore, as a free agent, VanVleet would only cost cap space. If the Knicks were to trade for Chris Paul, giving up first-rounders or one of their promising young prospects, would only compound the problem. Such a move would be a reversal of the rebuild that franchise has promised it would avoid. If the Thunder wanted to include some of their future draft capital (they own 15!!! first-round selections over the next seven years) to dump Paul's mammoth contract, then we can talk. But New York should not consider parting with picks for the right to pay a 35-year old PG $85 million over the next two seasons. The Knicks have gone down this unfruitful path in the past, acquiring an aging, overpaid star near the end of his career. It's a destructive cycle that doesn't end well. If New York were looking for a short-term veteran upgrade at point guard, Goran Dragic and Jeff Teague will also be unrestricted free agents this offseason.  Should the cap come down to as low as $100 million as some pundits have predicted, that means Paul would account for more than 40% of the total salary cap. It's almost impossible to envision a scenario in which a team is a legit contender with an aging point guard taking up that much cap space. Worse yet, it would prevent New York from being able to sign two max-level free agents in 2021, when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, Paul George, Jrue Holiday, Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert potentially hit the open market. I can hear those disgruntled Knicks fans bellyaching right now. Yes, I'm well aware New York has struck out time and time again the last few years when it comes to attracting stud free agents, but maintaining cap flexibility is still the right way to proceed. It also enables the Knicks to trade for a superstar, if/when the next superstar publically demands to be relocated. This is one of the primary reasons Leon Rise was hired as team president. Owner James Dolan is hopeful that a respected power broker like Rose will finally be able to reel in a big fish. And, should the Knicks once again fail to land in a big-name free agent in 2021, then they can pivot and consider trading for Paul at that point, when CP3 will be on an expiring contract. <div id="lightbox-inline-form-ce8cb6c3-ec4a-499c-98d6-76f72bc040ee"></div>

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 07: Chris Paul #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in action against the .. ... Yet, while I certainly don't dispute the validity of those facts, the Knicks still shouldn't trade away valuable draft picks or young players in exchange for Chris Paul ... If the Knicks were to trade for Chris Paul, giving up first-rounders or one of their promising young prospects, would only compound the problem.

No, The Knicks Should Not Trade For Chris Paul