Chris Paul trade to Warriors for Jordan Poole an option for Suns before Bradley Beal deal
Jun 22, 2023, 1:54 PM
(AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
The Phoenix Suns had the option of trading Chris Paul to the Golden State Warriors for Jordan Poole before ultimately landing Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.
“In the end they determined that Bradley Beal was a better player/fit for what they wanted,” Gambadoro added.
Details of the Beal trade to Phoenix, which temporarily sent Paul to Washington, emerged Sunday.
Paul was reportedly shipped to the Warriors on Thursday for Poole, Ryan Rollins and a few draft picks in a separate trade.
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Poole over Beal would have saved the Suns money and allowed for more flexibility in the free agent market, but the Florida product is the more established player.
It’s unknown what the pick compensation would have been in a Paul-for-Poole deal.
Beal, who is still owed $207 million over the next four years, averaged a career-high 31.3 points per game in 2020-21 to make All-NBA third team.
Poole won an NBA title in 2022 with the Warriors, thriving in a bench role. He’s still owed about $100 million over three years and shot just 43% last season, including 33% from the three-point line.
The Suns are set to have four contracts worth over $30 million next season unless they make another deal, likely centered around Deandre Ayton.
Beal will make $46,741,590 this upcoming season at 30 years old, the highest cap hit on the team.
Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are all set to earn more than $50 million each the following two years.
The salary cap for next season is projected at $134 million with $162 million as the tax level. The new collective bargaining agreement, which will be in place July 1, includes two spending aprons that set restrictions on building rosters and tax punishments. The first is at $169 million for 2023-24 and the next at $179.5 million.
Paul was set to make $30.8 million if he is retained past the June 28 deadline, by which the Suns could have waived him to save about $15 million.
The future Hall of Famer has another $30 million nonguaranteed for 2024-25 left on his contract.
