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On Monday, the NBA offseason got underway when teams were allowed to begin trading. That period got off to a rousing start when the Oklahoma City Thunder traded All-Star point guard Chris Paul to the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster deal.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Paul and Abdel Nadar were sent to the Suns in exchange for Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque, and a 2022 first round pick.

The Houston Rockets originally traded Paul to the Thunder last summer in the deal that brought Russell Westbrook to the Rockets. Paul spent the entire 2019-20 season with the Thunder despite talk that he could be dealt for young assets and draft picks.

Paul helped lead the Thunder to a playoff berth while putting together averages of 21.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. In addition, the former first round pick shot 37.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Now the Suns have vaulted into the thick of the Western Conference race with Paul joining a core group that already includes Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. The Suns may have missed the playoffs this past season, but this was a team that went 8-0 in the NBA bubble.

The Suns rolled through their schedule with a starting lineup that featured Booker, Ayton, Cameron Johnson, Mikal Bridges, and Rubio. Now Phoenix can replace Rubio with Paul and could be a very dangerous team this coming season.

Considering that this is the type of deal that can alter the NBA landscape, many players around the league weighed in on the blockbuster trade.

Rubio was one of the first to weigh in on the trade shortly after learning about his involvement in the deal. This will be the fourth NBA team for Rubio in his career as he previously spent time with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz prior to arriving in Phoenix.

Hall of Fame coach George Karl, who last coached the Sacramento Kings in 2016, came away very impressed with the move. Karl certainly knows a thing or two about coaching a contender.

The Suns may have really transformed themselves into a contender. However, it's extremely likely that this isn't the last blockbuster trade that the NBA sees in the coming days.