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Update: According to Shams Charania, the Suns and Paul are still exploring several options. This includes trades, waiving him or using the stretch provision. That means Paul could still be moved instead of waived.
The Phoenix Suns, in a stunning move, are waiving point guard Chris Paul according to Chris Haynes. Paul was a trade candidate this summer but it appears the Suns couldn’t find any takers for the 38-year old and are instead freeing up a roster spot by waiving him.
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
This is a tough turn of events for Paul, who basically resurrected the Suns franchise from the NBA abyss when he was acquired in a trade in 2020. The Suns made the Finals once in Paul’s tenure, while also having the best record in the NBA in another season.
With Paul set to join any team he chooses, the Lakers, Heat and Clippers are likely to be interested in his services. Even though his scoring has dropped off significantly, Paul can still be a stable distributor and play good defense in spurts. The Suns weren’t willing to pay $60 million over two seasons for him, but some team will pick him up for a cheaper price tag.
Phoenix will now likely give Cam Payne more opportunities to handle the ball, but this is Devin Booker and Kevin Durant’s show now. Owner Mat Ishbia is not wasting any time making his impact felt on this franchise, and every move will be made to put together a championship roster around those two star players.