Raptors land Chris Paul in three-team deal; veteran likely to be traded again or waived
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The Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets have completed a three-team trade that sends Chris Paul to Toronto, NBA insider Shams Charania reported. League sources expect the 38-year-old guard to be redirected to another club or waived before Thursday’s trade deadline.
Under the agreement, the Raptors ship Ochai Agbaji and a 2032 second-round pick to the Nets. The Clippers receive the draft rights to Vanja Marinković from Brooklyn and will send $3.5 million in cash to the Nets, according to multiple reports.
Raptors focus on cap management
Toronto does not plan to have Paul report, Charania noted. Acquiring the guard trims the club’s payroll below the luxury-tax threshold by swapping Agbaji’s $6.4 million expiring contract for Paul’s $2.3 million cap hit and creates a $6.4 million trade exception.
Clippers gain roster flexibility
Los Angeles opens a roster spot and gains additional room under the hard cap, flexibility that could allow the team to convert two-way players Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders to standard NBA contracts.
Brooklyn adds a young wing in Agbaji, future draft capital and cash considerations while surrendering the rights to Marinković, a Serbian guard selected 60th overall in 2019.
Paul, a 12-time All-Star, joined the Clippers last week in a salary-matching move with the Golden State Warriors. His immediate future now hinges on Toronto’s ability to find a new destination before the deadline; otherwise, the Raptors are expected to place him on waivers.
Source: Hoops Wire
