Two years ago, Chris Paul led the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals. Now, Phoenix is reportedly contemplating the Hall of Fame point guard’s confirmed future.
Phoenix initially signed Paul to A.J Four-year deal which could have been worth up to $120 million. The key phrase is “could be”. The final year of the deal was unsecured while the 2023-24 term was partially guaranteed for $15.8 million.
on ESPN Adrian Vojnarowski He added that there is a possibility that the Suns will waive Paul before his contract is guaranteed on June 28.
The Suns have determined that Paul is not worth $15 million. While it’s not a huge surprise, given that the franchise tried to trade Paul before the deadline, it’s still not unusual to see an NBA member The 75 Greatest Players of All Time His future vision is in flux.
The 38-year-old Paul was still productive last year, averaging 13.9 points and 8.9 assists, one year after leading the NBA in bowls. But it is again suffered an injury In the playoffs, the Suns were left short in their second-round loss to the Denver Nuggets.
With Kevin Durant turning 35 this fall, Phoenix may have decided that it simply couldn’t count on older players who were vulnerable to huge contracts. This also meant that they were unable to find a business partner for Paul with his $30 million salary.
That opens up some financial flexibility for the Suns, who may also look to dealing center Deandre Ayton. Moving Paul also gives them a chance to stay under the second luxury tax square, which comes with it Punitive penalties Under the new collective bargaining agreement.
Could this mean that the organization would try to go after Kyrie Irving in signing and trading with the Dallas Mavericks, to reunite Durant with his friend and former Brooklyn Nets teammate? If Dallas thinks Ayton can anchor their defense behind Luka Doncic – and Irving decides he wants out – that could be a real possibility.
As for Paul, the future is uncertain for one of the best NBA players of all time who has yet to win a championship.