Getty Russell Westbrook hugs Chris Paul
The Dallas Mavericks are one of the betting favorites to acquire a 12-time All-Star this offseason.
According to the latest odds from Sportsbetting.ag, the Mavericks have the fifth-best odds (+700) to land Chris Paul if he’s not on the Phoenix Suns next season.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN is reporting that the Suns could waive, stretch or trade Paul this offseason. The future Hall of Famer has a partially guaranteed contract for next season and is coming off his worst scoring campaign.
Paul averaged a career-low 13.9 points in 2022-23.
“Phoenix Suns ownership and executives had a series of conversations with Chris Paul and his representatives on the All-Star point guard’s future with the franchise Wednesday, including the possibility that he could be waived by the NBA’s June 28 guarantee date on his contract, sources told ESPN,” Woj wrote. “The Suns insist that they’re still working through several possibilities for Paul’s future and reiterated that to his representatives later Wednesday afternoon, sources said. Phoenix plans to explore trade opportunities including Paul and Deandre Ayton that could alter the franchise’s roster landscape ahead of a final decision on Paul’s partially guaranteed contract, sources said.”
The Suns lost to the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals in six games. Paul suffered a groin injury in Game 2 and missed the rest of the series.
The Rockets Could Steal Kyrie Irving from the Mavericks
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Houston Rockets could pursue Kyrie Irving this offseason if they don’t get James Harden.
Irving becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason, while Harden can become a free agent if he declines his 2023-24 player option with the Philadelphia 76ers.
“I have also heard that the Rockets, in the event that they are unable to lure Harden away from Philadelphia and back to Houston, plan to weigh a run at Dallas’ Kyrie Irving,” Stein wrote. “The Mavericks remain the league’s only known team with definitive interest in signing the mercurial Irving next month, but league sources say that the Rockets have been increasingly cited as a team that could (stress: could) join the bidding if Harden elects to stay with the 76ers.”
If Irving doesn’t re-sign with the Mavericks and Paul is on the open market, Dallas could pursue CP3, who is still an elite playmaker despite being 38 years old. The Wake Forest product averaged 8.9 assists this season in 59 games.
Kyrie Irving Wants to Re-Sign With the Mavericks
Stein, who covers the Mavericks as a credentialed beat reporter, is reporting that Irving wants to re-sign with Dallas this offseason.
If the NBA operates under a $134 million salary cap, Irving would be eligible to re-sign with the Mavericks on a five-year, $272 million max contract.
“Yet two sources close to the process insisted Monday that Irving has consistently expressed a desire to remain a Maverick and actually wants to shut down the notion that he’s angling to get to L.A.,” Stein wrote. “‘He wants to stay,’ said one source. The clear signals Monday out of Dallas suggest that the Mavericks believe that. With or without a LeBron James reunion.”
