Where will the legend go next?
The Chris Paul era in Phoenix appears to be over, as the Suns have reportedly waived the iconic point guard, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.
This season, Paul came in a little over $30 million, which would have all been guaranteed if Phoenix didn’t waive him before June 28. With the move, the Suns now owe Paul $15.8 million for his 2023-24 season salary.
Paul helped lead Phoenix to the 2021 NBA Finals, and then the next season, a mammoth 64-win campaign, which set a franchise record for the Suns.
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
It’s a bit sad to see a legend like Chris Paul just get waived like this, but at the same time, I get where the Phoenix Suns are coming from. I love Chris, but he’s not worth $30 million at this point in his career, so if you can get it cut in half, down to $15.8 million, you take it. And I’m sure Paul gets it. After all, this is a business.
And don’t worry about Chris Paul, he’ll be fine. He’ll draw interest from several teams, including my Miami Heat. And I know that for the simple fact that we show interest in literally every star that becomes available. As far as who else, I could see the Los Angeles Lakers (and Clippers at that) getting involved. LeBron has been looking to bulk up the point guard position, so this could be a play they make.
I could also see the Dallas Mavericks get involved. Mark Cuban is always chasing down talent. (RELATED: 2023 NBA Finals Pulling In Whopping Ratings, Burning Down Propaganda From Big Markets)
So yeah, as you see, Chris Paul will be fine. And so will the Phoenix Suns. I could see this working out well for both sides. For the Suns, they get to clear up cap space and potentially bring in somebody like Kyrie Irving, and for Paul, he might end up somewhere flashy like Miami or Los Angeles.
Not bad for both sides.