Concerning Chris Paul trend makes blockbuster trade with Kings a must-have

Having Chris Paul wear silver and black still feels like some sort of fever dream, but nothing changes whenever I pinch myself, so I guess it's safe to believe it's true. However, the question of whether it should remain true for the whole season needs some serious consideration if the Spurs want to keep their postseason goal within reach.

CP3 wasn't expected to come in and average 20 points per game, but as a player averaging 29.1 minutes a night, he still needs to contribute a bit of scoring. He's been struggling to do that mightily, and his 0-6 performance in their disappointing 112-110 loss to the Timberwolves is just the latest example.

His shooting percentages are falling off a cliff, and the Spurs are suffering because of it. A team as young as San Antonio's has more than one problem, but Paul has taken a step back every month.

Chris Paul's shooting percentages are falling off a cliff

The Point God came out on fire in October. He was only scoring 11 points a game, but he was shooting 48.8% FG and 45.8% 3PT. November came, and his production dipped to 10.4 points on 44.4% FG and 34.2% 3PT. December got much worse. With one game to go this month, Paul has averaged 7.9 points on 35.2% FG and 32.8% 3PT.

There have been seven games this season when CP3 has made one field goal or less throughout the entire game. That's tough to overcome from your starting point guard. His 8.4 assists this year have been tremendous, and his ability to control a game from an offensive standpoint is still special, but San Antonio is entering a very tough part of their schedule, and they'll need guys to score points.

This is the point in the season when teams start to separate themselves from the pack. The Western Conference is a jumbled mess in the middle of the standings, and the Spurs could benefit from the lack of space thus far, but they're also vulnerable to being left behind.

The team already has inconsistent scoring from guys like Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan, so they need consistency to come from somewhere other than Victor Wembanyama.

San Antonio should make a strong push for De'Aaron Fox

When Chris Paul signed with the Spurs, he was adamant about his desire to play. There aren't a ton of teams who have minutes for a 39-year-old point guard, but San Antonio was the perfect place. His impact on the young guys has been obvious, even when he's not scoring, so that's a significant factor to consider.

The Kings may not even want him in a deal, so even if something got done, Paul could remain on the roster. That would be the ideal scenario. There's more for the guys to learn, and if they could get themselves into the play-in, his experience would be more valuable than ever.

Tre Jones is the one who would be moved in a perfect world. Jones has been solid, but as Wembanyama said recently when asked about the trade deadline, the team isn't going to remain the same over the years. Someone has to go for the betterment of the organization's long-term goals.

They may want Devin Vassell in the deal, and while that wouldn't be the most desired option, it's not necessarily a dealbreaker either. Sacramento isn't the most savvy franchise, so the Spurs may be able to keep Dev around, too. Nothing is impossible when people are the deal-makers because people make mistakes all the time—like the one they made when they traded for DeMar DeRozan.

It put them in the precarious situation they find themselves in now, but it may just be another way the Spurs benefit. Harrison Barnes has been a wonderful addition to the roster. Brian Wright just needs to make a few more tweaks to the team, including the execution of one more trade with the Kings to bring De'Aaron Fox to San Antonio, and it will be checkmate.