Stein: Bucks Will Try to Trade for Chris Paul

As the Thunder's future becomes more uncertain Marc Stein of the New York Times is reporting that the Milwaukee Bucks will make a play for Chris Paul.

Tuesday, Billy Donovan and the Oklahoma City thunder mutually parted ways. The main reason Donovan is saying goodbye is that there are significant questions about Oklahoma City's future. 

Now comes word from the New York Times Marc Stein that the Milwaukee Bucks will pursue a trade for Chris Paul.  This isn't the first time Paul has been linked to the Bucks. 

Last October, The Ringer's Ryen Russillo said, Paul would like to play in Milwaukee. At the time, the Thunder were 1-3 and just figuring out how to play together.

There are rival teams that believe Milwaukee will explore trading for Chris Paul -- complicated as that would be financially -- if Oklahoma City indeed makes CP3 available via trade. One more thing to track as the Bucks enter perhaps the most crucial offseason in team history ...

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 9, 2020

The Bucks, who were eliminated from the playoffs after a 103-94 loss to the Heat, saw Malcolm Brogdon leave last off-season, but still, have George Hill and Eric Bledsoe under contract. They also have Giannis Antetokounmpo for one more season, and getting Paul would signal a commitment to winning a championship. 

During a video conference, Thunder General Manager Sam Presti spoke about the uncertainty surrounding Oklahoma City. "It's hard for us to forecast the next two or three years just given where we are as a team."..."This next season we don't know the answer to that."

"We don't know where the cap and tax is going to be."..."We don't have a good feel for really any information you would need to make informed decisions."

Presti also said the Thunder could bring back the current group of players for one more season but doesn't know how much longer they would stick around after that. Chances are Dovanan will be the first domino to fall in an off-season of radical change here in Oklahoma City.  

What we all thought was coming after Russell Westbrook, Paul Geroge, and Jerami Grant were traded was just delayed by a year. Whatever the Thunder future holds, Presti has a chest full of draft picks and young stars in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Darius Bazley to build around.  

While you scratch your head and try and see through the murky water, Presti's track record says he is more than capable of bringing the Thunder the bumpy road ahead. 

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With more than 20 years of experience hosting local and national radio shows, Erik Gee is a fixture of Oklahoma sports media. He has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder for the past six seasons. He is also the co-host of the Pat Jones show on 97.1 The Sports Animal in Tulsa.