Point guard Chris Paul is an NBA legend, and though he is past his prime, he is clearly still an impactful player. There’s no doubt that he still gave the Phoenix Suns quality minutes over the last season.
Despite his performance, it seems as though the Phoenix Suns will try and explore trade options for the veteran point guard. However, NBA analyst Skip Bayless suggested that the team should retain him due to his fit with stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
“He’s an all-time great player, and yet, the reason I like the fit is I liked his numbers because I look at his numbers, let’s do when he was on the floor with the two guys, and Kevin came late because, remember he was hurt,” Skip Bayless said on Undisputed.
Bayless then proceeded to point out that the trio played well together, going 12-3 when all three were on the court.
“With all three of them on the floor together, they went 12-3 as a threesome, and in those games, Chris averaged 13, five, and eight assists, which is pretty much on par with what he averaged for the whole year. He shot 44% from the floor, he shot 38% from three, and he was a +109 in those 15 games.”
There’s no doubt that chemistry and fit matter when building a championship-caliber team. The Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat both made the Finals this season, and both teams have cores that have relied on continuity and chemistry.
This regular season, Chris Paul averaged 13.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 8.9 APG for the Phoenix Suns. He is still clearly capable of playing a starting role, though whether that happens on the Suns or elsewhere remains to be seen.
Multiple Teams Could Target Chris Paul In The Buyout Market
There is a chance that Chris Paul will be waived by the Phoenix Suns, and if that happens, he will receive interest from many teams in the league. In fact, a recent report revealed that the Lakers, the Clippers, the Bucks, and the Celtics will target him in that scenario.
“Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, and Celtics will all pursue Chris Paul once he clears waivers.”
Any of those teams would be a good fit for Chris Paul. At this point in his career, Chris Paul needs to play with dominant scorers to be at his best, and all those teams have those types of players on their rosters. There is still a chance that he returns to the Suns, though, and we’ll see what happens in the future.