A bigger Big 3 in OKC?

No, I’m not talking about the three Thunder players some already identify with that. I’m talking about Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and Kevin Durant. Whoa, what?

Tom Haberstroh writing for ESPN.com tells us more:

But as long as we’re using our wildest imaginations, can we design a more potent three-headed monster than James-Wade-Bosh? Actually, we can.

Employing the star-studded template of a point guard, wing scorer and big man, imagine this triumvirate: Paul, Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard in Oklahoma City. Collectively, again using Paul’s 2008-09 injury-free season, this group would edge the Miami trio with a total of 78.7 wins.

The scary thing? Depending on how the new collective bargaining agreement shakes out, it could be a viable scenario down the road. Howard and Paul each control their destiny in the summer of 2012, as they have player options for the 2012-13 season. Should the two opt out of their respective contracts with Orlando and New Orleans, the potential is there for a more powerful union than the one we just witnessed.

To be sure, there’s a difference between a plausible scenario and a realistic one. It’s hard to imagine Paul and Howard leaving money on the table to make the trio happen; the owners will try to bargain for a harder, lower salary cap in the imminent meetings with the Player’s Association. A slice in spending power would all but prohibit Paul and Howard joining Durant in Oklahoma City.

Still, we can dream right? Especially when one just became a reality.