Chris Paul Suggests NBA Legend Played Role In Bradley Beal Trade

Chris Paul seems to believe a Basketball Hall of Famer might have been in the ear of the Suns owner before Phoenix sent shockwaves around the NBA.

The Suns kicked off the offseason with a bang, reportedly agreeing to acquire superstar guard Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards. The reported framework of the deal includes Chris Paul, who had been rumored to be on the outs in the desert. Paul, 38, would have locked in a $30.8 million salary for the 2023-24 season had he been on Phoenix's roster past June 28.

The decision to part ways with Paul was a practical move, one that wouldn't have required the brainpower of a basketball genius. But the veteran point guard nonetheless believes the move was influenced by an NBA legend who is close friends with Suns owner Mat Ishbia.

"It's just -- it's tough," Paul told The New York Times. "Seriously, it is part of the business, and what you realize is that no one owes you anything. No matter how you are with them or what you do, you realize that in this business, nobody owes you anything, as it should be.

"But when it comes through and my son texts me, I realize that, you know, Mat and Isiah (Thomas), I guess, just wanted to go in a different direction."

Thomas, who last had an NBA front office job in the mid-2000s when he was the New York Knicks' president of basketball operations, currently is not employed by the Suns. However, Ishbia previously did not rule out the possibility of the Detroit Pistons great eventually joining the franchise in some capacity.

As for Paul, there's a good chance he'll never actually don a Wizards uniform. But according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Washington is in "no hurry" to buy out the veteran point guard.