Offseason moves for the Phoenix Suns: What to do with Chris Paul? For the Phoenix Suns, the heartbreak of losing an NBA Finals after being up 2-0 will eventually be replaced by positive vibes about the type of season they had. After missing the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons, the Suns reached the Finals with a roster that is capable of competing for championships well into the future. The focus in the offseason turns to Chris Paul, who can become a free agent by declining his $44.2 million player option, free agent Cameron Payne and rookie extensions for Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges. Chris Paul Do not let the Finals define the season Chris Paul had and the impact he made on this Suns roster. A little more than two years ago, the $125 million that the Houston Rockets owed Paul was considered toxic. He was viewed as an aging player with his best days behind him and a legacy who would be marred by injuries in the playoffs. Fast forward to now and Paul is coming off two All-NBA-level seasons in which he played nearly every game for the Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder. He finished fifth in MVP voting this season. Now entering the offseason, Paul, 36, has a decision to make on his $44.2 million player option. He can opt in to his contract by Aug. 1 and sign an extension with the Suns once the moratorium is lifted on Aug. 6. Because of the Over 38 rule, Paul can only extend his contract for a maximum of two years. There are no restrictions on how much the starting salary in the first year of the extension can decline. For example, the Suns can extend him for two years and $70 million, with a cap hit of $35 million in 2022-23. Besides LeBron James' extension in December, no players 35 or older have signed a contract with a starting salary of $30 million in the first year. Despite his age and the fact that there is no team that would offer him $44.2 million as a free agent, Paul still holds tremendous leverage over the Suns organization. This past season, Paul ranked ninth in the NBA in RPM Wins (a measure of both the quality and quantity of his contributions). Without him on the roster, the Suns would likely have been a 40-win team, not one with the second-best record in the league. His impact on the roster cannot be measured just in statistics. "I love CP, man," Deandre Ayton said after the Suns' Game 4 win against the LA Clippers in the Western Conference finals. "That's really the only teammate that really pushed me. Like big-bro-type push. I think he was the best thing that happened to my career. I can say that every day." What will transpire from now until Aug. 1 is that Paul's representatives from Creative Artists Agency and the Suns' front office will converse on what the future holds. A compromise from both sides would be for Paul to decline his $44.2 million option but sign a new, three-year, $105 million contract on Aug. 6. The $44.2 million salary in 2021-22 would be replaced with a $35 million cap hit, allowing Phoenix to re-sign backup point guard Cameron Payne and stay below the luxury tax. Opting in and extending will put Phoenix in the luxury tax for the next three seasons. If Paul declines the option, that is an indication a new contract is waiting from Phoenix or there is a secondary option with a team that has cap space. The Suns could offer a contract for up to four seasons, and a team such as the New York Knicks that projects to have more than $50 million in room can sign him to a three-year deal. In the unlikely scenario that Paul does leave, Phoenix would have $27 million in cap space. As we saw with Gordon Hayward in free agency in November and Al Horford the year before, players prioritize long-term security even if that means taking less money in the first year than they would have made by picking up their option year. In the case of Hayward, the forward took a $6 million pay reduction in 2020-21 but secured more than $100 million in long-term guaranteed money. However, Paul has earned over $300 million in his career, has signed three max contracts and is at a point in his life when competing for a championship and quality of life might outweigh searching for that next lucrative contract. The Suns check the box for championship roster and quality of life.
Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul is expected to be ready for the start of training camp next season after having left wrist surgery, a source told ESPN's The Undefeated on Monday. Paul had the wrist surgery recently after the NBA Finals, the source said. The 36-year-old was seen wearing tape on his left wrist during the 2020 NBA Finals.
CP3 was the MVP last season to me. Took a suns team that was a fringe playoff team and made them a contender. I really hope they keep it up so he gets that MVP award. Clear MVP again. Also, not mad that Jokic won, he's a deserving player too.
CP3 has turned every team he has joined many times better than they were without him. An extremely underrated player who continues to have superstar impact.
Does he deserve an MVP Lifetime Achievement Award, all for it. They won't give the regular one to a player who has "only" averaged 31.5 - 32 minutes per game in the last years. His Win Share has dipped from last year's 9 to 3.1 this season. Other than Steals and Assists, the other stats like scoring, FG, 3pt pct, rebounding are down. Nash was the last PG that did not possess the highest scoring numbers to win it but he shot the ball much better.
Speaking of lifetime achievement MVPs, Chris Paul should have won MVP back in 2008-09, but Kobe got his lifetime achievement MVP that year.
the same midrange shots he's made a living off of his entire career. nice. great shots for him. bad shots mostly for everyone else. Oh and he lead the team to a W
