Chris Paul was released by the Phoenix Suns last week, and the odds of one team getting the experienced guard are going up.
The Phoenix Suns didn’t make it back to the NBA Finals for the second year in a row. The Denver Nuggets, who won the Western Conference, knocked them out in the second round. After their season was over, the Suns fired Monty Williams as head coach.
Then, last week, there was a story that the Suns were letting go of veteran point guard Chris Paul. Other reports, however, said that the team was still looking at all of its options before letting Paul go.
If Paul does become a free agent, the odds of one team getting him have gone up.
As of June 11, Bet US says that the New Orleans Pelicans have a +700 chance of signing Paul this summer. On June 10, the Pelicans had a +4,000 chance of winning.
Moving up in line to land, pelicans Chris Paul
Paul’s NBA career began with the New Orleans Hornets, who took him with the fourth pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. Paul played for the team for six years, from 2008 to 2011. During that time, he was named to the All-Star Game four times, the All-NBA First Team once (2008), and the All-NBA Second Team once (2009). When he was moved to the Los Angeles Clippers, his time in New Orleans was over.
Paul had 7,936 points, 4,228 assists, 1,951 rebounds, and 1,010 steals during his time in New Orleans. Paul also made 47.1% of his field goals and 35.9% of his three-point shots.
Paul was traded to the Suns in 2020, and in his first season with the team, they made it to the NBA Finals, which was a big deal. During that season, Paul averaged 16.4 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds. He made 49.9% of his field goals and 39.5 % of his field goals. Then, in his second season, Paul posted 14.7 points and 10.8 assists, which led the league in that category.
As was already said, the Suns couldn’t go back to the Finals because they let the Milwaukee Bucks come back from being up 2-0.
Paul averaged 13.9 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game last season. He shot 44% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc.
Paul and the Suns played the Pelicans in the 2022 playoffs, and the Suns won the first-round series in six games. This past season, however, the Pelicans couldn’t get out of the play-in tournament. They lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder and missed out on a chance to play for the No. 8 spot.
Fans are looking to see if the Suns will let Paul go, trade him, or keep him. If he gets released, the Pelicans might be a team to watch.
