Blazers trade:
Darren Collison 10m 2018
Thon Maker 3.2m 2019 (with 1.6m already paid this year)
Tony Parker 0.5m 2021
Portland 2020 1st round pick
Rockets trade:
Chris Paul 24.6m 2018 (12.3m paid)
The 1st Round Pick in this trade makes a huge difference.
Come next year HOU lands Maker and the 1st Rounder for an expiring CP3. Yes the money is a big issue/is a lot, but with his contract it has to be that way.
(Yes, and Parker but he could be retired and is just a bench/inactive player anyways).
Also to note, CP3 has been on the trade block for months, so it's not like any other team who might want him now that he's healthy "missed out" on trying to acquire him.
HOU did what he had to do to get assets in return for a player who was walking away to FA for nothing at the end of the season anyways. I've got no problem with that at all.
Overall yeah it was a bit confusing and I gave Vik sh1t for trying to post one trade all mixed and mashed up, haha. But this trade, on it's own, makes sense to me.
In case people haven't noticed, the RFA class in the summer is loaded, and the FA class isn't too bad either. If HOU is setting his sites on those players to build up a stronger roster for next year, that's his call.
