The Phoenix Suns re-signed point guards Chris Paul and Cameron Payne, the team announced on Friday.
Paul, 36, reportedly signed a four-year, $120 million deal, while Payne, 26, inked a reported three-year deal worth $19 million.
In his first season with the Suns in 2020-21, the 16-year veteran 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).
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.
Payne averaged 8.4 points and 3.6 assists in a career-high 60 games with the Suns this past season, shooting 48% from the field, 44% from three-point range (ranking 10th in the NBA), and 89% from the free-throw line.
The six-year veteran averaged 9.3 points and 3.2 assists in 22 games during the Suns’ playoff run to the NBA Finals. In a Game 2 win over the LA Clippers in the Western Conference Finals, he scored a career-best 29 points in addition to nine assists and zero turnovers.
Payne initially joined the Suns before the ‘Bubble’ in 2020 as he averaged 10.9 points during the team’s 8-0 run to close out the 2019-20 season in Florida.
He has appeared in 221 career regular-season games with Oklahoma City, Chicago, Cleveland, and the Suns, holding career averages of 6.8 points and 2.8 assists.
The Suns also re-signed Abdel Nader to a reported two-year. $4 million deal, which they also announced on Friday.
The Suns are hoping to get back to the NBA Finals, which won’t be easy considering how tough the Western Conference will be next season. However, bringing Paul and Payne back will help their cause.
