While the NBA trade deadline isn’t until Feb. 5, Monday was a notable day on the league’s calendar.
As Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors explained, Dec. 15 is the day 79 players who signed as free agents this past offseason are eligible to be traded.
The list includes names such as Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Damian Lillard, Myles Turner, Julius Randle, Fred VanVleet and, perhaps most notably, Chris Paul. Yet Lillard, Harden and VanVleet are among those on the list with the ability to veto trades.
Most of the league’s trades usually happen closer to the deadline, but Paul is an interesting case study this season.
While the Los Angeles Clippers sent him home, Adams noted the point guard is still technically on the roster as of Monday. Now that he is eligible to be traded, perhaps the Clippers will look to get something in return for the future Hall of Famer.
“I don’t regret anything,” Paul told Jordan Greene of People. “I was in Atlanta with a whole bunch of family. It was my last time gonna be playing there. That’s life. The whole thing took on a life of its own, you know? But I’m excited to be back here with my family.”
The comments came after ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Paul’s “leadership style clashed with the Clippers” as he was “vocal in holding management, coaches and players accountable.”
Charania reported Paul and head coach Tyronn Lue also had not been on speaking terms for “several weeks” leading up to the unofficial move.
If Los Angeles wants to trade Paul, who already indicated this will be his final season, it now can with Monday’s arrival.