Chris Paul traded to the Houston Rockets

As of this writing, it’s not even 1:00 p.m. ET on June 28th, 2017 and two major NBA moves have transpired. Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks have reportedly decided to part ways; and Chris Paul has been traded to the Houston Rockets. Some people on the West coast are still sleeping. Chill, NBA.

Both of those developments have fantasy implications, but the impact of the second one is obviously more direct and transparent. Here are some quick thoughts:

1. BUY CHRIS PAUL. What a dope landing spot for current and future fantasy owners. Houston ranked third in the NBA in pace – an estimate of possessions per 48 minutes – last season, and averaged 25.2 assists per game (third in the league) and 115.3 points per game (second in the league). I know the Rockets already have a decent point guard with a decent beard; but given the D’Antoni system, I don’t expect Paul’s numbers to decline. Playing next to Harden (off ball a bit more) should, at the very least, spark a significant boost in three-pointers made. I envision more though. 18.1 points – that should increase. 5.0 rebounds – I could see that increasing as well. Even the 9.2 assists could escalate. Point being: I am intrigued. CP3 and James were supposedly determined to play together, so I wouldn’t worry too much about egos clashing.
2. BUY MORE CHRIS PAUL. See above.
3. Same goes for Harden, except assist numbers probably won’t be as high. Efficiency should be better and turnovers should go down! Finally!
4. Stay posted for more updates. If either Melo or Paul George also end up in H-Town, then we’ll need to re-evaluate. MADNESS.
5. Patrick Beverley will take over the point guard duties in Los Angeles, and with the current roster, I’d expect a jump in minutes per game and therefore averages per game.
6. Lou Williams and Jamal Crawford on the same team?! But who’s sixth man?! Who gets more buckets off the bench?!
7. If Blake Griffin re-signs, the Clips will likely run a lot of the offense through him. With his unique skill set, that situation could lead to averages that hover close to the triple-double range. Yes, I went there.
8. Chandler Parsons still the free agency GOAT.