3 stars the Phoenix Suns may be dumping Chris Paul to sign.
Free Agent No. 1: James Harden, Lead Guard
The most ambitious player for the Suns to go after just might be James Harden. The current Philadelphia 76ers lead guard may be open to replacing one former teammate (Paul) in order to team up with another ( Durant).
It seems that Harden’s departure from the Brooklyn Nets was more about Kyrie Irving than KD, and his signing in Phoenix would seemingly support that conclusion.
There is a lot to like about Harden’s fit with the Suns. He can run a lethal two-man game with Durant, he is one of the league’s best passers, and he hit 38.5 percent of his 3-pointers this past season playing alongside Joel Embiid.
It’s that final point that is the biggest question of the potential team-up. Can Harden continue to develop his off-ball game as he started to do in Philadelphia, allowing Booker and Durant to cook and spot up outside the arc? After years of being a co-star, will he accept that once again to pursue a title? Or does he want to go back to Houston and be the guy?
It’s a bold and unlikely move to go after one of the star free agents on the market this summer, but waiving Paul is the first step in that direction. With new rules coming after this upcoming season that will make it impossible to build super teams, this may be the Suns’ last chance to truly load up for a title. Ishbia may well be looking in the mirror and saying “Go big or go home.”