Chris Paul was reportedly 'not feeling the Knicks' despite trade rumors

Before he was traded to the Phoenix Suns, there were rumors about Chris Paul potentially joining the New York Knicks instead. And according to The New York Post's Marc Berman, the veteran point guard did consider the Knicks before deciding against it, for both on- and-off-the-court reasons. 

Berman wrote that "Paul wanted to stay close to his son in Los Angeles and was not feeling the Knicks," which caused him to end up in Phoenix instead. It also sounds like the lack of fans made New York less appealing for Paul, as he was less interested in joining the inept franchise "without the trappings of a packed Garden."

At this point, free agents being rumored to be interested in the Knicks only to sign elsewhere has become an annual tradition, most famously when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving decided to team up on the Brooklyn Nets, the Knicks' crosstown rivals. 

After missing out on the big names on their wish list, the Knicks decided to once again prioritize cap flexibility, signing the likes of Austin Rivers and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with the hope of being able to land marquee free agents next summer. 

As for Paul, while he may not be joining an instant contender with the Suns, he is now on one of the most exciting up-and-coming rosters in the NBA, with Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton both looking primed to make the jump to superstar. With Paul as the team's floor general, Phoenix may be able to fight for a playoff spot despite the Western Conference arguably having no truly bad teams.