The Suns and Paul (groin) are exploring multiple options this offseason, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reported that the Suns notified Paul on Wednesday that he will be waived, but nothing has been made official yet. It sounds like the new leadership in Phoenix is looking to reduce Paul's salary cap hit for 2023-24 and beyond in any way possible, including releasing him outright, but the point guard could come back if he accepts a pay cut. Either way, the Suns are looking to significantly change their roster this offseason after a disappointing end to their 2022-23 playoff run.
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Chris Paul: Set to be released
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The Suns notified Paul (groin) on Wednesday that he will be waived, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.
Paul's 2022-23 campaign came to a disappointing end after being forced to miss the final four games of the Second Round in the Western Conference Playoffs against Denver due to a left groin strain. The veteran point guard averaged 13.9 points, 8.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 32.0 minutes across 59 appearances last season. Even at age 38, Paul figures to be one of the top free agent options on the market this summer, though his injury history remains a significant concern. Meanwhile, the Suns will likely look to bring in another option or two at point guard this offseason, but for the time being Cameron Payne is set to be the primary beneficiary of Paul's departure.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Won't play in Game 6
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Paul (groin) has been ruled out for Thursday's Game 6 versus the Nuggets, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports.
Paul will miss his fourth straight contest Thursday due to a left groin strain. Cameron Payne should continue to start in the veteran point guard's absence. Phoenix will have to win Game 6 and force a Game 7 to give Paul another chance of suiting up this postseason.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Officially out for Game 5
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Paul (groin) won't play in Tuesday's Game 5 against the Nuggets, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
The team noted earlier in the day that Paul was unlikely to be available due to a left groin injury, so this update isn't a big surprise. Paul's absence opens the door for Cameron Payne, who should get the nod at point guard Tuesday evening.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Unlikely to play in Game 5
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The Suns are preparing to be without Paul (groin) for Tuesday's Game 5 in Denver, but he could return for Thursday's Game 6 in Phoenix, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Paul has missed back-to-back games due to a strained left groin, but the Suns have won both of those matchups to tie the series at 2-2. Phoenix will release its official injury report for Game 5 sometime Monday afternoon, but it sounds like the veteran point guard will be listed as doubtful, at best. If he's sidelined as expected, Cameron Payne figures to draw another start at point guard, but Devin Booker and Kevin Durant will presumably continue handling the bulk of the offensive usage.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Still sidelined
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Paul (groin) won't play in Game 4 against the Nuggets on Sunday, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Paul will miss a second straight game due to a strained left groin and should be considered day-to-day moving forward. Cameron Payne drew the start in Paul's place for Game 3, logging seven points and six assists over 30 minutes and should remain in the starting lineup Sunday. Paul's next chance to play will come Tuesday in Denver for Game 5.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Officially out Friday
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Paul (groin) will not play in Friday's Game 3 versus Denver, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Paul sustained a left groin strain in the third quarter of Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals and was initially expected to be out at least one week before the Suns announced they would monitor Paul's availability on a day-to-day basis. In the meantime, Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet should see larger roles. Paul's next chance to play will come Sunday for Game 4.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Misses practice Wednesday
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Paul (groin) didn't participate in Wednesday's practice, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Paul's absence from practice doesn't bode well for his Game 3 availability. The Suns are treating the veteran point guard as day-to-day, but it seems likely that he will miss at least one contest after injuring his groin in Game 2. While it seems unlikely he'll play, Paul's official status for Friday's matchup doesn't have to be released until Thursday afternoon.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Officially deemed day-to-day
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The Suns said Tuesday that Paul has sustained a left groin strain and is considered day-to-day, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports.
While the Suns are treating Paul as day-to-day, an earlier report by Shams Charania of The Athletic suggested that he will miss at least one game. The veteran point guard's next chance to suit up will be Friday's Game 3 against the Lakers, but the Suns are reportedly preparing for him to be out until Game 6 on May 11. Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet should see extended playing time in Paul's likely absence.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Out at least one week
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Paul (groin) is expected to be re-evaluated in one week after undergoing an MRI on his left groin injury, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Charania adds that the Suns are preparing to be without Paul for Games 3-5, so if the series is extended, the earliest we would see Paul back on the court would be Game 6 on May 11. This is a brutal blow for the Suns after losing the opening two games of the series, and Paul's awful injury luck in the postseason continues. Look for Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet to step up in the meantime with even more usage heading Devin Booker's way.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Out for remainder of Game 2
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Paul has been ruled out for the rest of Monday's Game 2 against the Nuggets due to left groin tightness, Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Paul was spotted walking to the locker room during the third quarter with a lower body injury, and the team ruled him out for the rest of the contest shortly after. Look for Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet to see more opportunities down the stretch with Paul out of commission.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Inconsequential in loss
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Paul chipped in 11 points (5-11 FG, 1-5 3Pt), five assists and one steal in 32 minutes during Saturday's 125-107 loss to the Nuggets in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Paul scored at least 11 points for the fifth straight game, and his 5:1 AST/TO ratio is strong, if underwhelming. Underwhelming is an issue, however, as Phoenix needs peripheral support with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker supplying over half of the Suns' points Saturday. After 6-for-12 shooting from beyond the arc in Games 4 and 5 against the Clippers, Paul's ability to connect from beyond the arc remains a swing factor.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Struggles from deep
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Paul posted 11 points (5-18 FG, 1-8 3Pt, 0-2 FT), six rebounds, seven assists, one block and three steals in 41 minutes during Thursday's 129-124 victory over the Clippers in Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Paul couldn't buy a bucket from three-point range and committed three turnovers, but the Suns pulled out back-to-back wins thanks to a superstar performance from Devin Booker. The veteran point guard is averaging 11.3 points, 8.3 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals through the Suns' first three playoff games, but he's shooting just 37.5 percent from the field and 18.2 percent from deep.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Clears injury report
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Paul (hand) is available for Thursday's Game 3 versus the Clippers, Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Paul sustained a right hand injury late in Tuesday's Game 2 win but had X-rays come back clean and is not listed on the Suns' injury report. Considering he managed to play through the issue, Paul should be expected to handle a full workload.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Managing hand issue, X-rays clean
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Paul underwent an X-ray on his right hand that came back clean following Tuesday's Game 2 win over the Clippers, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.
Paul maintained plenty of playing time during Tuesday's victory, logging 16 points, eight assists, four rebounds, a steal and a block in 38 minutes. He appeared to sustain his hand injury late in the matchup, but he remained in the game and doesn't appear to be dealing with structural damage. He'll likely be monitored ahead of Thursday's Game 3 against the Clippers, but his official status won't be known until Phoenix releases its next injury report, which should drop sometime Wednesday afternoon.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Logs rebound-assist double-double
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Paul provided seven points (2-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals across 39 minutes during Sunday's 115-110 loss to the Clippers in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round.
Paul failed to get the kind of shot volume he needed to nail down a triple-double, but the veteran collected double-digit assists with typical efficiency and added a sizable rebound total as well. Paul will be tasked with generating a more cohesive offense during this series, as the team's playmakers have had little experience playing together and need time to figure out how best to utilize each other's skill sets.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Practices Wednesday
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Paul (rest) practiced Wednesday, Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com reports.
Paul, along with the rest of Phoenix's Big 4, missed back-to-back games to end the regular season for rest purposes, but it looks like the point guard is healthy and available ahead of the playoffs. The Suns face the Clippers, one of Paul's former teams, in Game 1 on Sunday.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Out Sunday
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Paul (rest) will not appear in Sunday's matchup against the Clippers, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.
Phoenix's Big 4 will sit out a second consecutive matchup to close the regular season. Paul finishes his third campaign with the Suns averaging 13.9 points, 8.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 32.0 minutes.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Officially out Friday
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Paul (rest) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Lakers, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Paul, Kevin Durant (ankle), Devin Booker (rest) and Deandre Ayton (rest) will all be sidelined for the second half of a back-to-back set Friday, and their status for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Clippers isn't yet known. Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet should see increased run in Paul's absence.
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Suns' Chris Paul: Unlikely to play Friday
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Paul is unlikely to play Friday against the Lakers for rest purposes, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
The Suns have clinched the No. 4 seed in the playoffs and are focused on postseason health, so they'll likely rest Paul and their other key contributors in the second half of a back-to-back set. Assuming Paul sits, Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet will likely see increased run for Phoenix.
