Prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals, fans were informed that the Phoenix Suns waived future hall-of-fame point guard Chris Paul, according to NBA Insider for Bleacher Report Chris Haynes. Adrian Wojnarowski, Senior NBA Insider for ESPN, later clarified that Paul met with the Suns to discuss his future. During that meeting, it was reportedly disclosed that the franchise would possibly waive the All-Star by the NBA's June 28 guarantee date on his contract.
Phoenix would save $30 million by waiving Paul. As a result, the Suns would only accrue $15.8 million of his salary for the 2023-24 season. This move comes as a bit of a surprise considering Paul's stature in the league, but from a front-office standpoint, it seems to be a necessary step in fine-tuning the roster to fit around Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
What's more, Paul's injury during their series against the Denver Nuggets forced Phoenix to find a way to play without Paul at the helm, thus making the veteran point guard expendable. Paul is reported as having said he intends to continue his playing career for multiple years and is looking to land on a contender for next season.
Source: ESPN
