Welp. Here’s some not-great news for Chris Paul’s daughter.
In one of the more shocking developments so far during the NBA Finals, the Phoenix Suns have reportedly told Paul the team will be waiving him this summer, according to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.
Paul has been a member of the Suns for the last three seasons. During his time, he’s made two All-Star teams and held down a couple of spots on All-NBA teams, too. The team has made the playoffs every year with him and, in 2021, also made a trip to the NBA Finals.
None of that was enough, apparently, for Paul to ensure his spot on the roster next season with the pressure to win a championship on full blast after Phoenix traded for Kevin Durant this season.
RELATED: 7 Suns targets that could reasonably replace Chris Paul at point guard
Paul still has something left in the tank, though. According to Haynes, the point guard plans on playing next season and beyond in hopes of winning a championship.
Chris Paul plans to play for several more years and is eager to help a team contend for a championship, sources say.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 7, 2023
However, The Athletic‘s Shams Charania reported that, while it’s certainly possible that Paul gets waived, nothing about his future is certain at this point. The Suns and Paul reportedly will discuss their options, which could include just waiving him and bringing him back to the team on a smaller deal.
Sources: The Suns and Chris Paul are exploring multiple options, including a trade, stretching his contract, or waiving and re-signing him in free agency. Phoenix expected to discuss trades ahead of Paul’s June 28 contract date.
Story at @TheAthletic:https://t.co/5EwV2pFLZ6
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 7, 2023
If the Suns do wave Paul, though, and don’t have interest in bringing him back, the question then becomes where would he go? There are some destinations out there that make a lot of sense for Paul. Let’s take a look at them.
1
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are probably the most obvious team here. This team has been looking for a point guard for years now, and, while Paul might not be in his prime, he’d be as good a fit in this spot as D’Angelo Russell currently is.
And the kicker is that the Lakers wouldn’t need to break the bank for Paul. He was just waived — Paul isn’t a max player anymore. We’re probably looking at a taxpayer mid-level exception deal for Paul, at best, going into next season. And with the Lakers only having four guaranteed deals on their books for next season, the team should be able to easily swing that.
2
Boston Celtics
The Celtics don’t really lack shot creation — they’re a team with multiple ball handlers at every single position. And both Marcus Smart and Derrick White are already solid options at point guard.
But we’ve seen on multiple occasions where turnovers and shot selection have been a huge problem for Boston. It’s part of the reason the team lost Game 7 against the Heat.
Chris Paul isn’t going to take bad shots, and he doesn’t turn the ball over. He’s the sort of organizer the Celtics have needed on offense for years now. They’re also a team that wouldn’t need to rely on his offense to make things work. The only issue would be making salaries work — Boston is getting very expensive very fast with Jaylen Brown now being eligible for a supermax deal.
Paul’s deal may be cheap, but Boston would still need to find a way to dump a contract or two to make this happen.
3
Dallas Mavericks
It may sting a little for Chris Paul to go to this team after the whooping his Suns took in Game 7 a couple of seasons ago, but if it’s all about winning, then this is a pretty good option.
Paul gives Luka Doncic another reliable shot creator on the offensive end which is something that he’s only had for half a season since the Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving.
With or without Kyrie Irving, Paul brings a skillset the Mavericks sorely need. He’d be a solid fit here.
RELATED: Trade machine deals brining LeBron James to Kyrie Irving and the Mavs
4
Oklahoma City Thunder
A Chris Paul return to Oklahoma City could be a pretty enticing thing. He obviously wouldn’t be a starting guard for them with their combination of Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the backcourt, but playing behind those two and organizing the Thunder’s second unit could stabilize their bench in a way while their two backcourt stars sit.
He’d be playing on a roster stacked with young talent from Jalen Williams to Chet Holmgren and so much more. All he’d have to do is credibly play point guard, which he could do in his sleep.
This team has a top-10 player in Gilgeous-Alexander and lots of young talent. The Thunder are a sleeping giant. Paul might be the piece that wakes them up.
5
Orlando Magic
Ok, folks. Just hear me out.
The Magic certainly aren’t ready to compete for next season. There’s still lots they need to do with the roster before they get to that point. But a Chris Paul addition would get them a lot closer.
The Magic need two things — a bit of shooting around all the skilled forwards they have and a bit of a stabilizer at point guard. Paul is exactly that. Paolo Banchero is only getting better and having a Hall of Fame-caliber point guard next to him is only going to make him better.
The Magic aren’t one year away. They might not even be two. But if Paul can stick around for a bit? I think this team could contend fairly soon.
