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A new trade proposal would land the Phoenix Suns two players for Chris Paul.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report proposed that the Suns trade Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers for D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley.
“Is it safe to say the second Russell era in Los Angeles is over after he was benched in the West Finals? Maybe, but the Lakers should at least look at other point guard options this summer,” Swartz wrote. “Paul is nearing the 18th green of his career but still averaged 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 1.5 steals this season. With LeBron James and Austin Reaves handling the ball a lot as well, Paul’s workload would stay at a reasonable level.
“For the Suns, swapping Paul for Russell and Beasley makes them younger and gives Booker one of his close friends to play with. For a team short on depth, Beasley gives Phoenix’s bench a veteran shooter who should thrive off kickouts from Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.”
Paul is very close friends with Lakers superstar LeBron James, while Russell is pals with Suns All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker. D’Lo becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, so this proposed trade created by Swartz would be a sign-and-trade deal.
LeBron James Is Not a Fan of D’Angelo Russell
James is not a fan of Russell, according to Heavy Sports senior insider Sean Deveney.
Since LeBron is close with Paul, it’s safe to assume that the four-time MVP would enjoy playing with CP3.
Russell played poorly in the Western Conference Finals versus the Denver Nuggets, averaging just 6.3 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 32.3% from the field and 13.3% from beyond the arc.
The Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, swept the Lakers.
“I hate to say one playoff series can change a franchise’s whole outlook on a guy because that just does not happen, but it is happening with some of the people in that building, maybe most significantly, with LeBron,” one Western Conference executive told Deveney. “Is this a guy they want to invest in? Does LeBron want him back — there is talk that he is not Russell’s biggest fan.”
D’Angelo Russell & Malik Beasley Can Help the Suns
Russell and Beasley can help the Suns since they both can shoot 3-pointers. The former made 194 3s this season with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lakers, while the latter hit 235 shots from deep with the Utah Jazz and Lakers.
Russell averaged 17.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 2022-23, while Beasley put up 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. While Paul is one of the greatest players of all time, he’s at the end of his career and can’t be trusted to deliver the goods when it matters most anymore.
Paul suffered a groin injury in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Nuggets and missed the rest of the series. He averaged 12.4 points and 7.4 assists in the 2023 postseason while shooting 41.8% overall and 32.1% from 3-point land.
The Suns are likely to guarantee the full salary of Paul for the 2023-24 season, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. The Wake Forest product signed a four-year, $120 million contract with the Suns in August 2021.
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