The Oklahoma City Thunder received Chris Paul in the blockbuster trade that sent franchise star Russell Westbrook out of OKC, but to complete this planned rebuild, the organization must first move Paul to its next destination. Despite hopes that a move can get done by the start of the 2019-20 season, the Thunder have had a tough time trying to deal Paul, as there has been nearly “no appetite” for the beefy last year of his contract, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.

“Having talked with a few GMs, there is almost no appetite for the final year of CP3's deal. My understanding is the Thunder may have to shovel over several picks to get a team to look at that cap hit. Today, I think he starts the season in OKC.”

Paul is slated to make a robust $44.2 million in 2021-22, a season which he will enter at age 36. Most familiar with the series of hamstring injuries he has endured through the latter part of his career fear this will be a lingering problem for the dime maestro, who often depends on his shiftiness and elusive nature to get around his defenders.

While Paul does have a similar deal as Westbrook, the latter is four years younger and is still in the prime of his career, making it a more manageable splurge for a franchise, despite his shortcomings and inefficiencies on the court.

It will take some severe draft compensation (and potentially cash considerations) to make a deal for Paul possible, as the market isn't as eager on acquiring a star player who likely won't age well into his contract.