The Phoenix Suns recently pulled off a blockbuster trade for Chris Paul, delivering a star backcourt mate for Devin Booker as the franchise looks to make its first playoff appearance since 2010.
Armed with Paul and Booker, plus a strong supporting cast after an 8-0 run in the Disney bubble, the Suns will be a formidable squad. While the addition of Paul doesn't make the Suns title contenders, he should give them a huge boost, a boost that other teams that failed to acquire him will not get.
Here are a few of those teams that will regret not being more aggressive to land Chris Paul.
3. New York Knicks
For all the money the Knicks currently possess to spend in free agency, they could have just used it to acquire Chris Paul to help them get back to relevancy. Paul was an ideal option for the Knicks, and they could have put together a respectable package to acquire his services.
Now, the Knicks find themselves in a familiar state: having more than enough money to spend in a weak market. At the moment, Gordon Hayward is on New York's radar, but the Indiana Pacers are also trying to work out a deal. The Pacers are certainly a more attractive option when it comes to competing, so the Knicks might then have to turn their attention elsewhere.
That could mean overpaying Fred VanVleet, who's a very good player but not necessarily one to change the fortunes of a franchise. Plus, there's a strong chance VanVleet is going back to the Toronto Raptors anyway.
2. Philadelphia 76ers
New Sixers president Daryl Morey traded for Chris Paul once with the Houston Rockets, and he could have tried harder this time around given the reported interest. A deal wouldn't have even needed to include Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons.
As it turns out, Philly wound up making a trade with the Thunder, only this one featured Al Horford and Danny Green as OKC continued its hoarding mission to get more draft picks. Instead of trading for Green, who's coming off a disappointing season with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Sixers should have tried to make something work for Paul.
While they do have Simmons as their primary guard, Paul would have been another top-level playmaker who can make big plays in the clutch. Philly has revamped its roster pretty nicely after missing out on Chris Paul by getting Green and Seth Curry and sending out Horford and Josh Richardson, but CP3 would have been a legitimate third star for them.
1. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers could use a legitimate point guard next to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. This was evident when they choked away their 3-1 series lead against the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs, which put them in a position to require upgrades in the offseason. This is especially true since Leonard and George could theoretically leave after next season.
Chris Paul returning to LA would have been an incredible story, and Leonard supposedly was recruiting CP3. This would have been an ideal scenario for Paul, who wouldn't have had to carry as much of the load anymore at his advanced age. With Leonard and George as the top scorers, CP3 would have been the playmaker to run the show and get things in order when things went bad.
Instead, the Clippers will have to look elsewhere for their point guard upgrade. Rajon Rondo is a strong possibility, but he's nowhere near CP3's level at this stage.
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