Give David Griffin and the Pelicans this: They swung for the fences this summer. They may have struck out more than Jim Thome, but they took their cuts.
One of those swings apparently was for Chris Paul — and that gave CP3 the leverage to get a fourth year out of the Suns, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the “Hoop Collective” podcast (hat tip CBS Sports).
How seriously did Paul entertain it? Good question. The bottom line is when Paul’s four-year, up to $120 million new contract with the Suns was announced, a few eyebrows around the league went up. Three years was the expected number for the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer, in the $90-$100 million range. The fourth year was a surprise.
The way the deal reportedly has been structured makes more sense for the Suns, with two fully guaranteed years, only $15 million of the third year guaranteed, and the fourth year is a team option. Paul may have leveraged a fourth year, but the Suns don’t have to pick it up (and if they do it means he’s still an important contributor to a contender and worth it). The new deal also worked for Paul, who had one guaranteed year at $44 million; he now has three for at least $75 million with a team he just led to the NBA Finals.
But Paul should give Griffin and the Pelicans an assist.
