Russell Westbrook-Chris Paul Swap is Rare Win-Win Trade Devoid of Hot Takes

From a man who's accustomed to delivering the spiciest takes on the world wide web, I hate to disappoint you.

Last July, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul traded places, like an NBA-themed comedy featuring two aging point guards. CP3 got a fresh start with an expectation-less Thunder squad, while Brodie was thrown into the heat of the NBA title race in a Western Conference finally devoid of the Warriors. On the surface (at least at the time), it was far from a guarantee either move would work out.

Would Paul voluntarily train a younger point guard to usurp him in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Could Westbrook share one basketball with James Harden? Just months later, a change of scenery has worked out well for both future Hall of Famers.

Westbrook's issues, for one, haven't been as easy to solve. Initially, Russ was chucking up inefficient shots at a time Houston needed him to fit into a system that didn't suit him. It was a round peg in a square hole. However, once the Rockets fully embraced small ball, opening up more driving lanes for Westbrook, he stopped taking nearly as many shots from behind the arc, instead setting up teammates and showing off the explosiveness we'd grown oh so used to during his OKC days.

Paul, meanwhile, has experienced a career revival with the Thunder. While it's unlikely he ever lives up to the contract that made him virtually untradeable when Oklahoma City was trying to flip him this offseason, CP3's ragtag group -- fueled in large part by Paul and the young assets the Thunder acquired in the Paul George trade -- are arguably better than the Thunder of yesteryear with Westbrook and PG13 leading the charge.

In fact, the Thunder's small-ball lineup makes them a real challenge in close games, something Western Conference foes will find out the hard way come playoff time.

The Thunder got off to a rough start, but have a better win percentage than any team outside of Milwaukee and Los Angeles since Dec. for a reason.

This trade has no takes. For once, it's a win-win.