Chris Paul trade chatter ignores his undeniable impact on the Spurs

Chris Paul has been a thorn in the side of San Antonio Spurs fans for the better part of two decades now. There is a whole generation of Spurs fans—myself included—who grew up knowing Chris Paul as nothing less than one of the premier opponents the Spurs had ever faced and one of the best points guards in the history of the NBA.

Spurs fans' animosity toward CP3 came with a begrudging level of respect. You could hate him as much or as little as you wanted, but there was no way you could deny his basketball genius. This season we're lucky enough to see that genius suiting up on the better side of the court.

Admittedly, I wasn't expecting much from Paul. Injuries in his two previous seasons had dogged him, and you could see his career's mortality starting to creep in. That, combined with the presence of Tre Jones and the addition of Stephon Castle, led many to believe Paul would have an important but marginal role primarily as a mentor and locker room figure.

So far Paul's role has been anything but marginal. He's played the third-most minutes out of anyone on the roster, he's started every single game for San Antonio, and he has been absolutely instrumental in their early-season success. So why the hell are we talking about trading him?

Trading Chris Paul would be a massive mistake for the San Antonio Spurs

Paul isn't the only Spurs guard who has been playing well. Stephon Castle has been an under-the-radar Rookie of the Year candidate. Less point guardy than he was last year, Jeremy Sochan was also looking outstanding before he got injured. All of that impressive guard play has led a legion of writers to speculate about the Spurs looking to move Chris Paul.

Let's put this to bed right now—there is no way that San Antonio should trade Chris Paul. There is no package that they would be able to get that would justify trading one of the most important players on their roster at this stage in the season.

Look at what Paul is doing on the court. He's part of one of the best lineups in the NBA. When Paul and crew share the court they assist on 75 percent of their baskets and 80 percent of their three's.

Do you think that's a coincidence? No, that's what happens when you put one of the best distributors in the NBA in control of your offense. The ball moves more, San Antonio plays true Spurs basketball as we know it and the results speak for themselves.

Watch any Spurs game and you'll see plenty of Chris Paul coaching up the guys on the bench. That leadership and education doesn't show up in the box score but it's been critical to the Spurs' success so far.

Remember, the Spurs are doing all of this without Gregg Popovich. Interim head coach Mitch Johnson has been in the Spurs organization since 2016 and has seen his fair share of what a game can throw at you but still, having a cerebral veteran presence like Paul on the bench has to offer a level of reassurance that's hard to put a price on.

The Spurs certainly could look to trade Paul but realistically what does that offer look like? No one is giving San Antonio a first-round pick for a 39-year-old point guard. Maybe they could get a second-round pick, a risk on a young player, and everyone's favorite cash considerations. Asking for anything more than that isn't reasonable.

So the question for Spurs fans is what would you rather have; a full season of on & off-court impact from CP3 or another second-round pick, a fringe roster player, and cash considerations. That's a no-brainer to me.

Paul is a walking encyclopedia of basketball. The education and veteran wisdom he is imparting on the roster is worth the cost of his contract alone. And again, this is the helmsman of one of the best starting lineups in basketball on a team that is surprisingly over .500! He's impacting the team on and off the court.

So let's cut the "Spurs should trade Chris Paul" narrative. Leave that trade piece in the drafts. Embrace this potentially unique season for all that it's worth. Cherish the moments when you can see Paul mentoring Stephon Castle and Vic on the sideline.

Those moments and what they'll mean for the long-term future of the San Antonio Spurs are infinitely more valuable than anything a competitor would offer for Paul's services.