Chris Paul Traded To Houston Rockets for Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley

The NBA’s second major trade of the 2017 offseason has occurred: the LA Clippers have dealt All-Star point guard Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets in exchange for a four-player package centered around Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams.

According to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal was made possible by Paul’s decision to opt-in to the final year of his contract, worth $24.2 million.

Wojnarowski detailed the terms of the trade:

The Rockets will send the Clippers a package that includes guards Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams, forward Sam Dekker and a 2018 first-round pick (protected Nos. 1-3), league sources told The Vertical. There are smaller parts to the deal, including non-guaranteed contracts, league sources said.

Given Paul’s contract flexibility and desire to join forces with James Harden, the Clippers were fortunate to receive some form of compensation for his services. The Clippers’ focus will now turn to Blake Griffin, another one of LA’s star players who will also be a free agent this summer.

Paul’s relocation to the Rockets has started to make waves, as Carmelo Anthony seems to have some rumored interest in joining forces with Houston’s new backcourt tandem. On today’s SportsCenter, Stephen A. Smith discussed possible landing spots for Anthony if he reached a buyout agreement with the Knicks this offseason.

On the lighter side, Portland’s CJ McCollum appears to be interested in where Griffin will end up in the aftermath of today’s trade.

Will the the Harden-Paul backcourt have enough talent to challenge the Warriors in the postseason next year? Tell us what you think in the comments below.