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Chris Paul's tenure with the Phoenix Suns will end on draft night when trades become official. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Suns are finalizing a deal to send Paul, Landry Shamet, multiple-second rounders and pick swaps to the Washington Wizards for Bradley Beal.
The two teams are still working on the framework of the deal. The Wizards could re-route Paul, and his former team, the LA Clippers are reportedly interested in acquiring the veteran point guard.
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Paul is owed $30.8 million this season. If the Wizards or the team he gets traded to waive him before June 28, 2023, CP3 will be a free agent and earn $15.8 million as part of that process since his contract is partially guaranteed this season.
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Fans were unsure about his free agency, but Chris Paul isn't a free agent yet. The potential Hall of Famer will be a free agent only if he gets cut by the Wizards or the team that trades for him. Paul will likely have a bevy of suitors if he enters free agency.
His $30.8 million contract for next season is a stumbling block for contenders that may be interested in his services as teams prepare to limit their spending due to the new CBA rules.
Chris Paul's injury history and recent decline due to age make his $30.8 million contract expensive at this stage. It wouldn't be a surprise to see a team potentially cut and re-sign him or stretch it and break his contract into a smaller sum annually.
Chris Paul had a stellar run with Phoenix Suns
Chris Paul failed to lead the Phoenix Suns to a championship, but he was largely responsible for turning them into contenders. The Suns were a lottery team for a decade before he arrived in 2020. Paul didn't just lead the Suns to the playoffs in his first year but to the NBA Finals, their first since 1993.
He was in the running for MVP. The veteran guard helped accelerate the development of the team's young players like Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges. Paul set the culture for the team to become successful in the coming years and an attractive landing spot for top trade candidates and free agents.
After adding Kevin Durant at the last trade deadline, the Suns have made the scoop for a coveted guard like Bradley Beal. Paul laid the foundation for the team to do that. Unfortunately, he couldn't be a part of its core moving forward, but that's how the business works in the NBA.
