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 LAClippershave dealt All-Star point guardChris Paulto theHouston Rocketsin exchange for a four-player package centered aroundPatrick BeverleyandLou Williams.

According to The Vertical’sAdrian 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 detailedthe terms of the trade:

The Rockets will send the Clippers a package that includes guardsPatrick Beverleyand Lou Williams, forwardSam Dekkerand 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 withJames Harden, the Clippers were fortunate to receive some form of compensation for his services. The Clippers’ focus will now turn toBlake 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, asCarmelo Anthonyseems to have some rumored interest in joining forces with Houston’s new backcourt tandem. On today’sSportsCenter,Stephen A. Smithdiscussed possible landing spots for Anthony if he reached a buyout agreement with the Knicks this offseason.

On the lighter side, Portland’sCJ McCollumappears 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 theWarriorsin the postseason next year? Tell us what you think in the comments below.