The Phoenix Suns made another stunning move this offseason, and that was waiving veteran point guard Chris Paul from his contract on Wednesday.
The Phoenix Suns have let it be known this offseason that they were open to change. They fired head coach Monty Williams after the team's second-round elimination to the Denver Nuggets and hired former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel to replace him. With an important offseason ahead of them, the team decided to make a tough decision regarding one of their players that played a pivotal role in their success in recent years.
According to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, the Suns informed guard Chris Paul that they were waiving him from his contract. Paul had signed a four-year, $120 million contract that would have made him a member of the Suns until the summer of 2025.
Even with his departure, Paul isn't thinking about retirement. Per Haynes, Paul plans to play for "several more years and is eager to help a team contend for a championship."
NBA Twitter reacts to Suns waiving Chris Paul
Let's take a look at some of the reactions to the Suns deciding to move on from Paul while the NBA Finals are still ongoing.
Paul joined the Suns in 2020 following a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder. With that, he was set to be the piece that filled out the team's core of Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. His first season was a success, as he averaged 16.4 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 49.9 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from the three-point line. The Suns made it to the NBA Finals that year, taking the first two games against the Milwaukee Bucks. However, the Bucks won the next four games to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
In the two seasons following, the Suns tried to win the NBA title for the first time, along with Paul. But, they were eliminated in the second round in both years.
This past season, Paul averaged 13.9 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.9 rebounds, while putting up a field goal percentage of 44.0 and a three-point percentage of 37.5.
With his tenure now over in Phoenix, Paul looks to continue his playing career, in hopes of finally hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Now, which team will ultimately bring him in next season?