76ers Rival Report: Will Wizards Keep Chris Paul in DC?

The Washington Wizards are officially headed for a rebuild. After flirting with the idea of declaring a rebuild by trading away the All-Star franchise player Bradley Beal over the last few seasons, the Wizards finally made their move official over the weekend.

On Sunday, Washington struck a deal with the Phoenix Suns. In exchange for Beal and Jordan Goodwin, the Wizards landed the veteran point guard Chris Paul, the former Philadelphia 76ers sharpshooter Landry Shamet, and some second-round draft picks.

With Paul on the move, it’s official the Suns will no longer have use for the veteran guard. A couple of weeks back, it was revealed that there is a chance Paul could be waived by Phoenix. If that were to happen, there was a chance Paul would return to the Suns on a different deal.

However, since Paul was traded, the Suns will move forward without his services. Paul might have a change of scenery at this point, but that doesn’t exactly guarantee he’s in DC for the long term.

With the Wizards moving on from their most notable name after missing the playoffs for the second-straight season, it’s clear that Washington is trending towards a rebuild. Considering Chris Paul is a 38-year-old guard with some gas left in the tank, he wants to compete for a title. Therefore, the timelines aren’t aligned.

What’s next for Chris Paul? According to The Athletic’s Josh Robbins, the Wizards would like to have Paul on their team for the 2023-2024 season. But Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reports that the Wizards are “likely to reroute” Paul in a trade.

Per Robbins, if Paul notifies the Wizards that he would like to be moved to a contender, Washington is willing to work with the Phoenix Suns in order to find a third team to get involved in the blockbuster deal that includes Beal.

When Chris Paul initially hit the trade block a couple of weeks back, the Philadelphia 76ers were a team to keep an eye on. Not only did the Sixers attempt to trade for Paul a few seasons back, before he landed in Phoenix following his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the Sixers currently have a question mark at the point guard position.

James Harden currently has a $35 million player option looming for next season. The league-wide expectation is that Harden will decline his option for next year and search for a multi-year deal in free agency this summer.

Initially, Harden was expected to return to the Houston Rockets, but the narrative is shifting. By no means are the Rockets out on Harden, but the chances of the ten-time All-Star guard making his way back to Philly are increasing by the day.

If the blockbuster deal between the Suns and the Wizards happened closer to the start of free agency, the Sixers could’ve been a team to watch as potential suitors for Paul. By the time the Suns and the Wizards figure out where the 12-time All-Star will be headed for next season, it will probably be too late for the Sixers to get involved.

With Harden still in the cards, the Sixers can’t make any sudden moves as they are prioritizing bringing back the dominant playmaker.

Initially, it seemed making a play for Paul could be a Plan B for the 76ers, as well possibly making a move for Beal. But with both of those players being involved in Sunday’s big trade, it seems Paul will have a new team before the Sixers reach their possible Plan B phase if all else fails on the Harden front next month.