Chris Paul making more guaranteed money thanks to trade to Wizards
Apr 19, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) handles the ball during the third quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans during game two of the first round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Paul might actually be pleased about his trade to the Washington Wizards for financial reasons.
Paul and Landry Shamet are being traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Wizards as part of a larger deal for Bradley Beal. Paul could still be routed to a third team if the Wizards are able to reach a deal on a trade, but he’s getting paid no matter what.
Paul signed a 4-year, $120 million deal with the Suns in 2021. Previously, only $15.8 of his $30.8 million base salary for 2023-2024 was guaranteed.
However, in order to make the salaries match up for Beal’s current $43.27 million base salary, the Suns had to guarantee an additional $10 million of Paul’s base salary for the season.
Instead of only being guaranteed $15.8 million for the upcoming season, Paul now has $25.04 million guaranteed. Shamet’s salary is $9.25 million for this season for tax purposes.
Here’s what the projected math would look in a Bradley Beal trade to Phoenix.
The $15.8M partial of Paul gets a nice boost (far right column). pic.twitter.com/LfC2UxYijE
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 18, 2023
Paul knew he was likely heading out of Phoenix. If he ends up with another contender like the Clippers while also getting more of his salary guaranteed, he could consider the development a win for himself personally.