The Chris Paul era will apparently be ending in Phoenix after 3 seasons. In a surprising move, the team announced Wednesday that they will likely waive the veteran point guard making him a free agent this summer.
The future hall of famer immediately becomes one of the biggest names on the free agent market, and, per Chris Haynes, plans to play for several more years. He remains eager to help a team contend for a championship.
While the move gives the Suns a little bit of wiggle room financially, it isn’t a huge cap savings move, giving Phoenix an extra $15 Million of space. The team was already in need of depth across the board, and now adding in a need at point guard doesn’t help matters much.
While there were rumblings of Paul and the Suns separating this offseason, most pundits assumed that would be via trade and not an outright release. In doing so, the Suns are eating the $15.8 Million he’s owed in guaranteed money. He was previously under contract for 2 more seasons.
BREAKING: Phoenix Suns have notified star Chris Paul that he will be waived, making the future Hall of Famer one of the top free agents this offseason, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 7, 2023
The Suns finished 4th in the Western conference this past season with a 45-37 record, and defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1st round of the playoffs in a decisive 5 game series. They fell to the Denver Nuggets in 6 games in the Western Conference semifinals, as Paul missed Phoenix’s final four postseason games while nursing a groin strain.
When Phoenix acquired Paul ahead of the 2020-21 season through a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, it was believed he would be a perfect addition to a skilled roster that featured Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. But as the years caught up with Paul he wasn’t able to keep up to a team that was looking to play at a much faster pace.
Paul, who recently turned 38, has also seen his scoring ability decline in each of his 3 seasons in Phoenix. In the 2020-21 season, he averaged 16.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 8.9 assists, compared to 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists in 2022-23. While the Suns made it to the NBA Finals in Paul’s first season, they’ve fallen in the conference semifinals in each of the past 2 years, causing many to believe the team was in need of a shake up. Paul was seen as the club’s best trade chip. But if he is to be released, that title might now be bestowed on Deandre Ayton as the team shifts to build around Booker and recently acquired Kevin Durant.
The Suns will also have a new coach this season, as they opted to fire Monty Williams and replace him with former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel after they were eliminated from the playoffs.
There’s no doubt the 12 time all star and former rookie of the year will land on his feet as he searches for that elusive ring, even as he enters the final stage of his illustrious career. As of now it is unclear who would be the frontrunner to sign the point guard over the coming months, but there’s sure to be plenty of teams interested.
-Devon Gallant
Twitter: @DevGallant
Photo: Tulane Public Relations. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.