"Last week, when news broke that the all-time great Chris Paul was acquired by the Toronto Raptors in what was essentially an Ochai Agbaji salary dump trade, I'll admit I held onto a sliver of hope. Maybe, just maybe, the masterful playmaker would don Raptors colors for one last hurrah in the NBA. My fellow Raptors Rapture colleague, Daniel O'Connor, shared this feeling, and we both speculated about how even a 40-year-old Chris Paul could still bring value to this squad."
"However, as subsequent reports revealed, the most obvious outcome of this somewhat eye-popping trade - at least for us Raptors faithful - was that Paul would be waived shortly after and not expected to report to Toronto. Raptors head of basketball operations, Bobby Webster, echoed this sentiment in his post-trade deadline media scrum. He mentioned that while CP3 is one of his all-time favorites, the deal was never meant to see Paul suit up for Toronto. The organization was working closely with his camp"
"Even though I knew Paul being waived was on the horizon, I couldn't help but dwell on the hypothetical scenarios where CP3 could have been massively beneficial for what the Raptors were trying to accomplish. For one, given Jamal Shead's recent slump, I believe it would have done tremendous wonders for the 23-year-old to learn firsthand from one of the greatest point guards to grace the court. I mean, they don't call Chris Paul the "Point God" for nothing, right."
Chris Paul was acquired by the Toronto Raptors in a salary-dump trade involving Ochai Agbaji. Reports indicated Paul would be waived shortly after and was not expected to report to Toronto. Raptors head of basketball operations Bobby Webster confirmed the deal was not intended to see Paul suit up and said the organization was coordinating with Paul's camp on next steps. Observers envisioned potential on-court benefits, including veteran leadership to steady late-game situations and mentorship for Jamal Shead amid a slump. Paul's recent physical decline contrasts with a retained high basketball IQ and past effectiveness in mentoring roles.
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