The Phoenix Suns reportedly plan to release veteran point guard Chris Paul. According to Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report, Paul has already been notified of the Suns’ decision.

Haynes adds that the 38-year-old Paul isn’t thinking about retirement and “plans to play for several more years and is eager to help a team contend for a championship.”

This would be a surprising decision in different circumstances, but it has become clear that the new Suns’ owner Mat Ishbia is not afraid to take big swings since he bought the franchise earlier this year. Ishbia pushed for the acquisition of superstar Kevin Durant ahead of the trade deadline, fired respected head coach Monty Williams, and is now moving from one of the Suns’ key players in recent seasons.

Chris Paul joined the Suns ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season in a trade from Oklahoma City Thunder and has been credited for helping transform an underachieving franchise into a championship contender. He was an All-Star in his first two seasons in Phoenix and played a crucial road in the team’s road to NBA Finals in 2021.

However, Paul has been a shadow of himself this season, averaging a career-low 13.9 points per game during the regular season. He also underperformed in the playoffs as the Suns bowed out in the second round to eventual Western Conference champions Denver Nuggets.

Despite his recent struggles, there is no doubt that teams will line up to sign Paul this offseason. One of the possibilities is his joining the Los Angeles Lakers, a team in need of a proven playmaker, where he would join forces with his close friend LeBron James.

The post Suns Plan to Release Veteran Point Guard Chris Paul appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The 2021 NBA free agency is off to an electric start, with several teams making big moves to position themselves for a successful 2021-22 season. The majority of the big-name free agents are already off the board, with some of them making surprising and unexpected decisions. Let’s check out the biggest deals and moves.

DeMar DeRozan Joins the Bulls

After spending the previous three seasons with San Antonio Spurs, four-time All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan is off to a new challenge. DeRozan is joining the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal that will see him earn $85 million in the next three years. For their role in the deal, the Spurs gained Thaddeus Young, Al-Farouq Aminu, one first-round pick, and two second-rounders.

DeRozan finished the season averaging 21.6 points, 4.2 boards, and career-high 6.9 assists per game. The 32-year-old guard is expected to lead a revamped Bulls team that also signed guard Lonzo Ball on a four-year, $85 million deal and guard Alex Caruso on a four-year, $37 million contract.

Chris Paul Re-Signs With the Suns

After leading the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in 2020-21, Chris Paul decided to run it back with the franchise by inking a new four-year, $120 million contract. Paul, who earned All-Star and All-NBA nods last season, previously declined his $44 million option for 2021-22.

Suns previously also picked up Landry Shamet from the Brooklyn Nets in a trade that saw them give up Jevon Carter and the No. 29 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Kyle Lowry Headed to Miami

The Miami Heat made a big addition to their roster as well, signing All-Star guard Kyle Lowry to a three-year, $90 million contract. Lowry joins from the Toronto Raptors in a sign-and-trade deal that will see the Heat sending Precious Achiuwa and Goran Dragic in exchange.

Lowry was courted by multiple NBA teams in the free agency but was interested only in the Heat as he wanted to play with Miami’s All-Star forward Jimmy Butler.

Miami made several other moves in the first days of free agency, agreeing to a five year, $90 million extension with sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, and resigning Victor Oladipo.

Lakers Get Carmelo Anthony, Add Several Others

The blockbuster trade for superstar Russell Westbrook left the Lakers with only five players under contract. Still, general manager Rob Pelinka quickly filled out the roster with veterans and young players through free agency.

The biggest news is definitely the addition of Carmelo Anthony, who signed on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract. After being almost out of the league in 2019, Melo bounced back with two successful seasons in Portland and will now have a chance to compete for an NBA Championship with one of his best friends in LeBron James.

Lakers also added veterans Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, and Kent Bazemore while signing pair of young and prospective players in Kendrick Nunn and Malik Monk. They also re-signed restricted free agent Talen Horton-Tucker.

The post NBA Free Agency: DeMar DeRozan Joins Bulls, Chris Paul Re-Signs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It looks like Houston Rockets’ point guard Chris Paul will not settle for anything less than a max contract when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer. Although there have been reports that the 33-year-old could offer the Rockets a discount in order to help them create a more competitive team, that won’t be the case according to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Speaking on his The Woj Pod podcast, Wojnarowski said that there are no indications that Paul will settle for anything less than a max deal.

“When the Rockets made that deal for Chris Paul, knowing they would re-sign him [once he hit free agency], they made a conscious decision that they were gonna have to live with [paying him] $46, $47 million-a-year salary when he’s not nearly the player anymore in his late 30s, but, ‘We’re gonna make a run at it now; we wanna win a championship now. We’ll deal with it [Paul’s contract] later.’” – said Wojnarowski. “We’ll see how that plays out in their contract talks [with Paul] here in free agency. Chris Paul didn’t turn down $200 million from the Clippers because he thought that somehow the Rockets were gonna talk him into saving them luxury-tax money. I don’t imagine it playing out that way.“

After spending more than six years with the Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Paul decided to team up with James Harden and join the Houston Rockets in June 2017. It turned out to be the right move, since the Rockets finished the season as the top seed in the Western Conference, with Paul averaging 18.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 1.7 steals during the regular season.

Chris Paul also put on some great performances during the playoffs but suffered an injury in the Western Conference Finals which saw him missing the two final games of the series against the Golden State Warriors. Paul’s value to the team was evident in these two games since the Rockets didn’t manage to get the win and ended up missing out on NBA Finals appearance.

The post Chris Paul Wants a Max Contract from the Houston Rockets appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Phoenix Suns reportedly plan to release veteran point guard Chris Paul. According to Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report, Paul has already been notified of the Suns’ decision.

Haynes adds that the 38-year-old Paul isn’t thinking about retirement and “plans to play for several more years and is eager to help a team contend for a championship.”

This would be a surprising decision in different circumstances, but it has become clear that the new Suns’ owner Mat Ishbia is not afraid to take big swings since he bought the franchise earlier this year. Ishbia pushed for the acquisition of superstar Kevin Durant ahead of the trade deadline, fired respected head coach Monty Williams, and is now moving from one of the Suns’ key players in recent seasons.

Chris Paul joined the Suns ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season in a trade from Oklahoma City Thunder and has been credited for helping transform an underachieving franchise into a championship contender. He was an All-Star in his first two seasons in Phoenix and played a crucial road in the team’s road to NBA Finals in 2021.

However, Paul has been a shadow of himself this season, averaging a career-low 13.9 points per game during the regular season. He also underperformed in the playoffs as the Suns bowed out in the second round to eventual Western Conference champions Denver Nuggets.

Despite his recent struggles, there is no doubt that teams will line up to sign Paul this offseason. One of the possibilities is his joining the Los Angeles Lakers, a team in need of a proven playmaker, where he would join forces with his close friend LeBron James.

The post Suns Plan to Release Veteran Point Guard Chris Paul appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The 2021 NBA free agency is off to an electric start, with several teams making big moves to position themselves for a successful 2021-22 season. The majority of the big-name free agents are already off the board, with some of them making surprising and unexpected decisions. Let’s check out the biggest deals and moves.

DeMar DeRozan Joins the Bulls

After spending the previous three seasons with San Antonio Spurs, four-time All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan is off to a new challenge. DeRozan is joining the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal that will see him earn $85 million in the next three years. For their role in the deal, the Spurs gained Thaddeus Young, Al-Farouq Aminu, one first-round pick, and two second-rounders.

DeRozan finished the season averaging 21.6 points, 4.2 boards, and career-high 6.9 assists per game. The 32-year-old guard is expected to lead a revamped Bulls team that also signed guard Lonzo Ball on a four-year, $85 million deal and guard Alex Caruso on a four-year, $37 million contract.

Chris Paul Re-Signs With the Suns

After leading the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in 2020-21, Chris Paul decided to run it back with the franchise by inking a new four-year, $120 million contract. Paul, who earned All-Star and All-NBA nods last season, previously declined his $44 million option for 2021-22.

Suns previously also picked up Landry Shamet from the Brooklyn Nets in a trade that saw them give up Jevon Carter and the No. 29 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Kyle Lowry Headed to Miami

The Miami Heat made a big addition to their roster as well, signing All-Star guard Kyle Lowry to a three-year, $90 million contract. Lowry joins from the Toronto Raptors in a sign-and-trade deal that will see the Heat sending Precious Achiuwa and Goran Dragic in exchange.

Lowry was courted by multiple NBA teams in the free agency but was interested only in the Heat as he wanted to play with Miami’s All-Star forward Jimmy Butler.

Miami made several other moves in the first days of free agency, agreeing to a five year, $90 million extension with sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, and resigning Victor Oladipo.

Lakers Get Carmelo Anthony, Add Several Others

The blockbuster trade for superstar Russell Westbrook left the Lakers with only five players under contract. Still, general manager Rob Pelinka quickly filled out the roster with veterans and young players through free agency.

The biggest news is definitely the addition of Carmelo Anthony, who signed on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract. After being almost out of the league in 2019, Melo bounced back with two successful seasons in Portland and will now have a chance to compete for an NBA Championship with one of his best friends in LeBron James.

Lakers also added veterans Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, and Kent Bazemore while signing pair of young and prospective players in Kendrick Nunn and Malik Monk. They also re-signed restricted free agent Talen Horton-Tucker.

The post NBA Free Agency: DeMar DeRozan Joins Bulls, Chris Paul Re-Signs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It looks like Houston Rockets’ point guard Chris Paul will not settle for anything less than a max contract when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer. Although there have been reports that the 33-year-old could offer the Rockets a discount in order to help them create a more competitive team, that won’t be the case according to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Speaking on his The Woj Pod podcast, Wojnarowski said that there are no indications that Paul will settle for anything less than a max deal.

“When the Rockets made that deal for Chris Paul, knowing they would re-sign him [once he hit free agency], they made a conscious decision that they were gonna have to live with [paying him] $46, $47 million-a-year salary when he’s not nearly the player anymore in his late 30s, but, ‘We’re gonna make a run at it now; we wanna win a championship now. We’ll deal with it [Paul’s contract] later.’” – said Wojnarowski. “We’ll see how that plays out in their contract talks [with Paul] here in free agency. Chris Paul didn’t turn down $200 million from the Clippers because he thought that somehow the Rockets were gonna talk him into saving them luxury-tax money. I don’t imagine it playing out that way.“

After spending more than six years with the Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Paul decided to team up with James Harden and join the Houston Rockets in June 2017. It turned out to be the right move, since the Rockets finished the season as the top seed in the Western Conference, with Paul averaging 18.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 1.7 steals during the regular season.

Chris Paul also put on some great performances during the playoffs but suffered an injury in the Western Conference Finals which saw him missing the two final games of the series against the Golden State Warriors. Paul’s value to the team was evident in these two games since the Rockets didn’t manage to get the win and ended up missing out on NBA Finals appearance.

The post Chris Paul Wants a Max Contract from the Houston Rockets appeared first on SportzBonanza.