How the Miami Heat could trade for Chris Paul and P.J. Tucker

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What it would take to trade for Chris Paul

The first and most important element of any trade for Chris Paul involves his salary. Paul is due $38 million in 2019-20 and has three years and $124 million remaining on what is one of the most onerous contracts in the NBA as he just turned 34 years old.

In order to trade for Paul, the Heat would have to send back a heavy salary load themselves, and having acquired Ryan Anderson‘s massive contract via trade from the Rockets within the past year wouldn’t be able to send that contract back to Houston.

Perhaps the most likely fulcrum of any trade would be Goran Dragic. If and when he opts into his $19 million player option, he could be included in a package going to Houston that would probably also have to involve at least one of Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson.

Dragic would be opting into the final year of his contract, which means that his money would be coming off the books after next season anyway. On the flip side of that coin, Chris Paul is due another $86 million after next season, and will be 35 going into the summer of 2020.

This is probably a scenario the Miami Heat should stay as far away from as they possibly can.