![]() ![]() Teams that acquire a signed-and-traded player cannot exceed the first apron for any reason. The major restriction that comes with executing one would be the hard cap a sign-and-trade generates. Even if Phoenix wanted to take this route, finding an Ayton trade that didn't involve taking back salary would be extremely difficult.Ī more realistic path to a major free agent addition would probably be a sign-and-trade. In all likelihood, cap space isn't a feasible option here. Does Fred VanVleet really move the needle that much? Does Khris Middleton? After adding such a player, the Suns would be limited to the $7.6 million cap room mid-level exception and minimum salaries to fill out the rest of their roster. That sort of space is probably enough for two high-end starters or one premium addition. Is that enough to gut the entire roster around Durant and Booker? Probably not. If they could move Ayton without taking back any salary in addition to waiving Paul and getting off of Landry Shamet and Cameron Payne, the Suns would be looking at roughly $36 million in space. Even if the Suns dumped everyone else and stretched Paul, the stretched portion of his salary combined with incomplete roster charges would effectively bring the Suns back up to the cap. Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton alone will combine to make more than $116 million next season. The projected cap for next season is $134 million. The Suns have no simple path below the salary cap. How exactly they plan to do that is less clear. If the Suns waive Chris Paul, it's because they believe they can better allocate the $27 million waiving him would free up on the basketball court. He's not saving money for the sake of saving money. Mat Ishbia just bought the Suns at a $4 billion valuation. Plenty of other teams would make the same decision. ![]() On a fundamental level, waiving Paul is a declaration that Phoenix would prefer to have Paul off of its roster on a $3.2 million cap charge than on it at $30.8 million. Only $15.8 million of that figure is guaranteed, and Phoenix can use the stretch provision to spread those payments over the course of five years so long as they are comfortable with the fact that doing so would prevent them from re-signing Paul at any point during the terms of his original contract. Paul may be an NBA legend, but there simply isn't a team in basketball that can justify paying him that much anymore. He once again struggled to stay on the court in the playoffs. Paul averaged a career-low 13.9 points per game last season. Here's the short answer: the Suns are waiving Chris Paul because he is not worth the $30.8 million that he is owed next season. If Paul is waived and clears waivers, then he would become an unrestricted free agent.Why would the Phoenix Suns waive Chris Paul? There's a short answer to that question that we know, and there's a long answer to that question that we don't. They were eliminated by the Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals. The Suns finished the 2022-23 season with a record of 45-37. The 37-year-old guard has two seasons remaining on the four-year deal he signed with Phoenix in 2021. Paul, a 12-time All-Star and member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, averaged a career-low 13.9 points last season to go along with 8.9 assists and 1.5 steals over 59 games. Phoenix expected to discuss trades ahead of Paul’s June 28 contract date. Sources: The Suns and Chris Paul are exploring multiple options, including a trade, stretching his contract, or waiving and re-signing him in free agency. Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that a trade could also be on the table, along with potentially waving and re-signing the 12-time All-Star this offseason.īREAKING: 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 Chris Haynes June 7, 2023 The Phoenix Suns plan to waive veteran guard Chris Paul, according to a report from Bleacher Report/TNT’s Chris Haynes. Multiple reports emerge Wednesday evening that Chris Paul could be facing an uncertain future with Suns after three years in Phoenix. ![]()
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