PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns today re-signed point guard Chris Paul to a multiyear contract.
In his first season with the Suns in 2020-21, Paul finished fifth in NBA MVP voting and was an All-NBA Second Team selection, helping the Suns win the Western Conference title. In 70 regular season games, he averaged 16.4 points, 8.9 assists (3rd in the NBA), a 3.99 assist-to-turnover ratio (2nd) and 1.41 steals (16th) while shooting 49.9% from the field, 39.5% from three-point range and a league-leading 93.4% from the free throw line. In 20 playoff games during the Suns’ run to the NBA Finals, Paul averaged 19.2 points and 8.6 assists, shooting 49.7% from the field and 44.6% from three-point range.
Paul ranks fifth in NBA history in career assists (10,275) and career steals (2,332) with both marks being the highest among all active players, and he is 22 points shy of becoming the first player in NBA history with at least 20,000 points and 10,000 assists. His All-NBA selection last season was his second straight and the 10th of his career, which is second most among all active players behind only LeBron James. An 11-time NBA All-Star and the 2013 All-Star Game MVP, Paul has played in 1,090 career regular season games with New Orleans, the LA Clippers, Houston, Oklahoma City and the Suns, holding career averages of 18.3 points, 9.4 assists and 2.1 steals, shooting 47.2% from the field, 37.1% from three-point and 87.3% from the free throw line. He has led his team to the playoffs in 13 of his 16 NBA seasons, including each of the past 11 years.
The Winston-Salem, N.C. native is a nine-time All-Defensive selection including seven times being named to the First Team. Representing the United States men’s national team, Paul is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, helping the U.S. to undefeated, first-place finishes in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. Originally the fourth overall pick of the 2005 NBA Draft out of Wake Forest University, Paul was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2005-06.