AS the NBA’s moratorium on transactions lifted Monday, the Phoenix Suns made the first blockbuster move of the 2020 offseason, reportedly acquiring point guard Chris Paul from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Phoenix dealt Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre Jr., Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and their 2022 first-round pick to OKC for Paul and Abdel Nader, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The pick is protected for selections 1-12 in 2022, 1-10 in 2023, 1-8 in 2024 and unprotected in 2025, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported.

Paul will be joining his third team in four years after ascending to Point God status with the Los Angeles Clippers from 2011-17. He enjoyed a resurgence this past season, making the All-Star team for the first time in four years. Paul averaged 17.6 points (on 49/37/91 shooting splits), 6.7 assists and five rebounds in 31.5 minutes per game, leading the Thunder to a surprising fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

He will be tasked with doing the same for Devin Booker and the young Suns.

Phoenix nearly made the playoffs in August for the first time since reaching the conference finals in 2010, finishing an impressive 8-0 in the Orlando bubble and missing a play-in series for the eighth and final seed by way of a tiebreaker.

(SD-Agencies)