Chris Paul’s Phoenix Suns were eliminated from the NBA playoffs this past week by the Denver Nuggets.
Although the 38-year-old has a partially guaranteed contract set for next season, rumors have begun to intensify in recent days that he could be on the move.
One NBA team, in particular, continues to be viewed as the frontrunner for his services should he get dealt.
This week Paul addressed the speculation as best as he could.
Chris Paul on whether he sees himself being back with the Suns next season: “My contract not up, but unfortunately I’m not the GM or anything like that. So we’ll see.” pic.twitter.com/iH7YV7IsR3
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) May 12, 2023
“My contract not up,” Paul said. “But unfortunately I’m not the GM or anything like that. So we’ll see.”
According to ESPN NBA insider Tim MacMahon, Phoenix is expected to “aggressively” shop Paul around this summer.
“We can talk about a whole bunch of different people who might not be back here next year,” MacMahon said on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast.
“I would certainly anticipate they aggressively shop Chris Paul before that June 28 deadline that would guarantee his salary from $15.8 [million] to $30.8 [million]. I think it is pretty likely that Chris Paul is elsewhere next year.”
The Suns have been looking for a long-term Paul replacement all year. One name has consistently been floated as an option, but obviously everything is very fluid at the moment.
The Celtics impressed on and off the court this weekend. https://t.co/NBM9Gjr2Ca
— Game 7 (@game7__) May 15, 2023
That said, the fact that Phoenix so quickly rid itself of Monty Williams speaks to the fact that new owner Mat Ishbia isn’t here to play games.
He wants to win – and he wants to do it immediately.
What will that ultimately mean for Paul? Time will tell.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
