Reports: Phoenix Suns will trade or waive Chris Paul

The Phoenix Suns have notified veteran point guard Chris Paul that he will be traded or waived this offseason, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and Shams Charania of The Athletic.

If the Suns can't find a trade partner, they will waive the 38-year-old. If Paul is waived, Charania notes that Phoenix could look to re-sign him on a cheaper contract this summer.

Haynes adds that Paul has no plans to retire; he intends to play several more years and hopes to join a championship contender.

Paul is set to earn $30,800,000 next season, but only $15,800,000 of his 2023-24 salary is guaranteed. And none of Paul's $30,800,000 salary in 2024-25 is guaranteed. That opens the door for Phoenix to potentially waive Paul and save a significant amount of money.

The Suns shopped Paul prior to this past NBA trade deadline, but they ultimately didn't pull the trigger on a deal. At one point, Phoenix reportedly offered Paul, Jae Crowder and a first-round pick for Kyrie Irving, but the Brooklyn Nets ultimately chose the Dallas Mavericks' package for Irving instead.

This season, Paul played in 59 games, averaging 13.9 points, 8.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 threes and 1.5 steals, while shooting 44.0% from the field, 37.5% from three and 83.1% from the free-throw line. 

If Paul is waived, possible destinations include the Los Angeles Lakers (where he'd finally get a chance to play with his close friend LeBron James), Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks among other contenders.