Matt York/Associated Press
Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul has declined his $44,211,146 player option for the 2021-22 season and will become a free agent, according to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.
The 36-year-old averaged 16.4 points, 8.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals for the 51-21 Suns, who went from missing the playoffs entirely in 2019-20 to earning the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed and reaching the NBA Finals, where they fell to the Milwaukee Bucks. Phoenix had not been to the championship round since 1993 before the Bucks series.
CP3 joined Phoenix in the offseason after the Oklahoma City Thunder traded him in a cost-cutting move for their rebuilding franchise.
His leadership propelled the Suns to their best regular-season finish since two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash was leading the fast-paced Phoenix offense in the mid-2000s.
Phoenix notably excelled on both ends of the court thanks in part to Paul, finishing the regular season with the No. 5 offensive rating, the No. 9 defensive rating and the No. 3 net rating, per Basketball-Reference.
The 16-year veteran made his 11th All-Star Game as a result of his efforts.
Losing Paul could be a huge blow to the Suns as they look to stay within the top echelon of the Western Conference, although Phoenix still has a chance to sign him to a multi-year deal. Still, the Suns would be wise to try to bring him back as they look to contend once again.
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