The Hypothetical Trade
Clippers acquire Chris Paul
Thunder acquire Patrick Beverly, Lou Williams, Rodney McGruder, Terance Mann, JaMychal Green*
Including all of these pieces is one of the only ways the Clippers would be able to fit Paul’s massive salary alongside that of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Patrick Beverly, Lou Williams, and Rodney McGruder make up the majority of the deal.
But the Clippers would also need one of two things to occur: Los Angeles would need to either part with Ivica Zubac in the trade, or if JaMychal Green opts-in to his player option, he could be included in the deal.
In this hypothetical, if Green opts-in, he’s traded instead of Zubac. Either way, the Clippers would have a difficult decision to make. If Green opts-in, he wouldn’t be an easy piece to part with by any means, but the Clippers’ options are limited.