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The Phoenix Suns are exploring multiple options regarding the contract status of veteran point guard Chris Paul, per Shams Charania. He could remain with the team, and the Suns seem to have at least some interest in reworking his contract or waiving and re-signing him. Phoenix will entertain offers for Paul leaving his status with the team in jeopardy as we head towards the 2023 NBA Draft the offseason.
If Paul does indeed find himself wearing a different jersey next season, where could he land? Odds are live at DraftKings Sportsbook in certain states for where he will play his first minute of the 2023-2024 NBA regular season. Phoenix has the fourth-best odds at +1000 and is tied with the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks. Whether it is by trade or from signing as a free agent, the best odds are held by the Los Angeles Lakers at +500. The Philadelphia 76ers come in at +700, with the Boston Celtics at +800.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Detroit Pistons have the worst odds to roster Paul at +7500. The Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers all have +5000 odds at the bottom of the league. These opening odds in the Paul sweepstakes suggest he is likely to land with a contender and a team that needs him to log valuable minutes.
The Lakers with the top odds makes a lot of sense. Yes, LA would be pairing yet another aging veteran with LeBron James (if he stays with the team for another season), but Paul would fit in well. They would have to determine how Paul would work with D’Angelo Russell minutes-wise, but Russell could also find himself with a new team next year. If Dennis Schroder is still in the mix, he and Paul played together in Oklahoma City in the 2019-2020 season. Boston could have an interesting backcourt with Marcus Smart and Paul. The veteran would fit in well with Philadelphia as well, but his success could be capped by the team’s offseason and what happens with James Harden and even Joel Embiid.
Paul will be heading into his 19th career NBA season. Even though he is nearing the time to start thinking about hanging it up, he showed that he has something left in the tank last season. Paul played in 59 games and averaged 13.9 points, 8.9 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. While his points were career lows, his assist average was tied for the second-highest he has had in the last six years. He shot 44% from the field and 37.5% from range.