Chris Paul has always been a key figure for the Phoenix Suns, even though they are now back against the wall.
But whether you win or lose, the next question in most people’s minds is whether the 36-year-old will stay or move on.
The $44 million player option prevented the Suns from retaining Paul.
The 11-time All-Star player can use this clause to get such a huge bonus, and not many people think it is feasible.Among them is Dan Barto, Director of IMG Academy, who weighed the future of “CP3” on the National Sports PH podcast Hosted by Vincent Juico and Brian Yalung.
“If you are Phoenix, you can’t just pay him $40 million and try to deal with the rest. I think it would be weird,” Barto said.
Instead, the deputy director of IMG suggested that Paul can go to other teams, such as the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and Utah Jazz.
“I can see him end up in Utah or Miami, some strange place. I didn’t see him in New York. I can even see Chicago,” he said.
No matter which team he ultimately played for, to get the signature of the former NBA rookie of the year requires a wise multi-year contract.
Barto believes that Paul will seek a three-year contract and prefer a team that can get along well with the head coach.
“I saw him sign a three-year contract. He knew he would get along well with the coach and he would be able to lead a team and almost repeat what they are doing now. Take the team to the next level. . If it succeeds, that’s great. But there is no pressure on him,” he explained.
But the key thing to watch is that Paul decides what to do after the 2020-21 NBA Finals.
There are large sums of money on the table, and he is likely to choose this option. It would be surprising to avoid it, especially at this stage of his career.
Paul has proven that despite his old age, he can still play a high level of competition. He has created miracles for the teams he has played for the past two seasons.
One team that can use people like him is the Los Angeles Lakers.
The championship is something Paul might want to move towards the twilight of his career.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis, “CP3” can fill this gap and turn things around for the team.
Photo: Getty Images North America/Justin Castellin
