Although the NBA Finals are still underway, the NBA offseason waits for no one, Boston Celtics fans. On Wednesday evening, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report broke the news that the Phoenix Suns had informed Chris Paul that he would be waived ahead of free agency.
BREAKING: 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 @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 7, 2023
Shortly after, Shams Charania of the Athletic added to Haynes’ report on Paul with a story of his own, stating that the Suns are considering multiple options for the 38-year-old’s future, including trades, stretching the guard’s contract after waiving him, or potentially re-signing him to a cheaper deal.
Nonetheless, if Paul does indeed become available, the Boston Celtics should be pursuing the veteran.
The Boston Celtics should pursue Chris Paul
The Celtics season ended one game shy of the NBA Finals, and despite the disappointing ending, Boston will be a contender for years to come with the help of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. But outside of the duo, it’s been a talking point for a couple of years that the C’s needed to add a true-facilitating point guard to take some stress off the Jays.
While some may argue Marcus Smart is a perfectly-fine facilitator to run the team, it wouldn’t hurt to add a future Hall of Famer with the playmaking skills of Paul. The ability to add a reliable ball handler to run Joe Mazzulla’s offense could elevate the team to the next level.
There’s no doubt that the Celtics already have an abundance of guards on the roster, but recent rumors suggest that Brad Stevens may look to shake things up in the backcourt this offseason due to new CBA guidelines. With tough decisions ahead in the offseason, Boston could be in an ideal position to lure Paul to Boston to contend for a championship.
Paul averaged 13.9 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.3 rebounds through 59 games with Phoenix this season. The Wake Forest product is clearly on the backend of his career but shows he still has the ability to contribute at a fairly high level. The Suns will have until June 28th to decide on his future with the team before his deal is guaranteed.