Suns exploring options with Chris Paul, including waiving All-Star point guard
The Phoenix Suns are exploring their options – including trading, waiving or possibly re-signing – veteran All-Star point guard Chris Paul.
Reports surfaced late Wednesday night that Paul would be waived, but the team is keeping all options on the table.
While the Bleacher Report reported Paul would be waived, The Athletic and ESPN reported the Suns are exploring options, including a trade, waiving him and possibly re-signing him.
If the Suns waive him, Paul will become a sought-after free agent who will draw interest from several teams looking to contend for NBA title. The Suns want to make a decision before June 28, the date his contract becomes fully guaranteed at $30.8 million for the 2023-24 season. Still, if the Suns waive him before that deadline, they are still on the hook to pay Paul $15.8 million even though he could sign with another team.
If the Suns waive him and he clears waivers, he could re-sign with the team at a lower salary than $30.8 million, allowing the Suns to retain a nucleus of Paul, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
If he leaves the Suns, it would mark the end of Paul’s three-year run with Phoenix. Paul helped the Suns reach the NBA Finals in 2021, but they lost in the Western Conference semifinals the past two seasons. Paul missed the final four games of Phoenix’s second-round series against Denver with a groin injury last month.
Paul is a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection and nine-time All-Defense selection, but missing from his resume is a championship.
Paul, 38, played in 59 games this season, averaging 13.9 points, 8.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He signed a four-year, $120 million contract with Phoenix in free agency 2021.