The Athletic’s Shams Charania recently reported that the Phoenix Suns are exploring their options with point guard Chris Paul. Fans of the Milwaukee Bucks have wondered what this would mean for his future in Phoenix.
Will Phoenix release Paul outright? Will they explore a sign-and-trade deal, potentially including 24-year-old center Deandre Ayton? Will Phoenix simply look to restructure Paul’s contract in an effort to preserve cap space?
Paul is 38 years old and is owed $30.8 million for the upcoming season. However, just $15.8 million of that salary is guaranteed, and there is a stretch provision that would allow the Suns to pay this off over five years. Thus, there is a real possibility that Paul may be packing his bags for another city this offseason.
The Bucks originally showed interest in signing Paul in the 2020 offseason following his year in Oklahoma City. Milwaukee instead opted to bring in Jrue Holiday from New Orleans. While Holiday has been spectacular in three seasons in Milwaukee, veteran leaders like Chris Paul rarely hit free agency. That being said, here are three reasons the Bucks should reignite their interest in CP3.
1) Few players are as lethal in the mid-range as Chris Paul is
With how the NBA has progressed over the past decade, certain teams are becoming awfully predictable.
Over the course of the 2022-23 regular season, teams like the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics consistently relied on 3-point shooting to propel them to victories, with both averaging well over 41 attempts a night.
Heck, even with several “paint beasts” on the roster, Milwaukee leaned on 40.4 3-point shots a game, good enough for fourth-most in the league, per NBA.com/stats.
Although Paul has lessened his impact as a scorer in recent years, the Bucks would be thrilled to have a guy like Paul as another option inside the arc.
Paul shot 50.3 percent between 10 and 14 feet this past season. Even at age 38, Paul continues to soften opposing defenses with a confident mid-range stroke.
Pairing Paul alongside players like Jrue Holiday, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, and (tentatively) Khris Middleton would make for a well-oiled machine in Milwaukee. Antetokounnmpo and Lopez are among the league’s best down low, and Holiday and Middleton have certainly become capable high-volume shooters alongside them.
Paul’s addition would mean every area of the floor is a threat for the Bucks. Plus, a player of his caliber would bump a scorer like Grayson Allen to a bench unit that is in dire need of high-powered shooting.
2) With Paul on the court, Jrue Holiday can shine as a scorer and defender
Even after 18 seasons under his belt, Chris Paul is still plenty capable of being a primary facilitator on a strong offense.
The guard has led the league in assists three times over his career, and even did so as recently as the 2021-22 season, averaging 10.8 assists a game with Phoenix.
And while Holiday has been a respectable playmaker for the Bucks, his offensive prowess goes well beyond being an assist man.
Holiday has averaged above six assists in all but two seasons in his career, both of which came in the early stages of his career. Yet, even as his assist totals his piled up, Holiday has grown as a scorer.
As an All-NBA defender, Holiday would thrive with a lessened playmaking responsibility. When Holiday shot a career-best 41.1 percent from the 3-point line in the 2021-22 season, he had playmaking help from veteran George Hill, who played over 23 minutes a night.
If Chris Paul can ease himself into the primary facilitating role, Holiday will surely prove more capable as an outside scorer. Holiday may also find extra energy on the defensive end, which is crucial considering he guards the opposing team’s best guard or wing night to night.
Holiday will still have his moments as a distributor; he’s too smart of a player not to make the right pass. However, Paul’s greatness as a true point guard would surely unlock another level to Holiday’s scoring and defensive energy.
3) Chris Paul fits the Milwaukee Bucks’ high-intensity culture
When you think of current NBA players with an unmatched work ethic on and off the court, Milwaukee Bucks’ forward Giannis Antetokounmpo first comes to mind. The two-time MVP has gained over 50 pounds of muscle since entering the league and continues to be regarded as one of the strongest athletes in professional sports.
Then there’s newly minted head coach Adrian Griffin. Griffin has worked with star Jimmy Butler in Chicago to turn him into the gritty, hard-nosed player he is today and has been touted for his immense work ethic in player development. He’ll look to build upon the already established culture left behind from the Mike Budenholzer era over the past few seasons.
When Chris Paul’s healthy, there are few players at the guard position who work as hard as him. Even in his late 30s, Paul is a fierce competitor with instinctive leadership skills. The Bucks would love an outspoken leader with 18 seasons of play behind him. Apart from mentorship abilities, Paul commands the respect of teammates and would surely do so in Milwaukee with a rookie head coach. Having Paul in town could certainly help ease Griffin into the swing of things and make life easier.
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