CP3: 'No chance' of final-year opt-out

Chris Paul isn't looking to hop on the first plane out of Oklahoma City.

The Thunder point guard isn't interested in opting out of the final year of his contract in 2021-22 to get traded to a contending team.

"No chance," he told Sports Illustrated's Rohan Nadkarni. "That's not happening. Nope."

Paul is owed $44.2 million in the last year of the deal, which will be his age-36 campaign. That season is seen as the biggest obstacle for teams interested in acquiring him, Nadkarni adds.

CP3 signed a four-year, $159.7-million contract with the Houston Rockets in July 2018. He was traded from Houston to OKC this past summer, along with two first-round picks and the right to swap selections in 2021 and 2025, in exchange for Russell Westbrook.

Paul is averaging 17 points, 6.4 assists, five rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game this season while shooting 37.2% from 3-point range.

The Thunder currently sit seventh in the Western Conference with a 25-19 record. Paul, a nine-time All-Star, is still pursuing his first NBA championship.