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Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver sits during the first half of the NBA game against the Golden State Warriors at Talking Stick Resort Arena on February 12, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Warriors 112-106 (Photo by Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
Dear Robert:
It is time. Seize the day. Open your wallet. Trying your luck. Swing for fences.
Or sell the team to someone who will.
We’ve come to this crossroads because Chris Paul is suddenly available in the trade market and he’s all you need to end a 10-year playoff drought in Phoenix. It’s the bold move we’ve all been waiting for.
Paul could be a turning point for the Sarver surname, changing the way all future free agents perceive you and your organization. Paul is clearly intrigued by playing basketball in the Valley, although he was very confused the last time he was here.
That night, Suns fans booed Paul with great enthusiasm, because Paul had been on the Western Conference All-Star squad and Devin Booker had not.
Paul would bring a lot of good things to your franchise: instant credibility. An elite leader. A serious update from Ricky Rubio. A Spitfire competitor who will not stand juvenility in the locker room. He’s the match that will start a fire under Deandre Ayton. Just you watch.
There was a time when DeAndre Hopkins and Paul were the centerpieces of the Houston athletic experience. Imagine if they both ended up in Phoenix two years later.
Paul is also extremely expensive. He will be the second highest-paid player in the NBA next season and among the oldest in the league. Your financial fervor and business acumen almost guarantees that you will struggle to commit more than $ 85 million over the next two seasons for a player of his profile, an aging veteran with a long history of injuries.
Not only will his salary equate to around $ 657,000 per game next season, but he will likely miss some of the time with an assortment of injuries. Paul is 35 years old and you vividly remember how Steve Nash started to separate at the same age.
You will have to reconcile this up front, as the Cardinals did with Hopkins and his practice habits.
But now is not the time to dwell on fear, frugality, or worst case scenarios. Paul is a natural leader which your team sorely misses. His presence will raise the stakes and the platform in Phoenix, appeasing Devin Booker and quenching any growing thirst for travel.
Maybe Paul would rub Booker the wrong way, like Jimmy Butler did with the Timberwolves. But I bet otherwise. I think Booker thrives in the presence of a superior, grateful that he no longer has to carry a team alone, playing in obscurity and anonymity.
Paul is also the perfect acquisition to commemorate a renovated arena and a brand new practice facility. In 1992, the Suns paired the opening of the America West Arena with the acquisition of Charles Barkley, straddling the suit until the NBA Finals.
Your predecessor was also a home run hitter who turned to fencing, even if that meant hitting occasionally. And that’s what this moment asks of you.
The owners are ultimately responsible for major acquisitions. Jerry Colangelo recruited Randy Johnson. Ken Kendrick initiated the pursuit of Zack Greinke. And now it’s up to you to deliver Paul at (almost) any cost. If Paul really wants to be here, you can make it. You have to get there.
The Suns have real momentum. Monty Williams was a great hire. Your team hasn’t lost a game since mid-March. And now Paul is at your fingertips. The same goes for a playoff team here, right now, and all it takes is money.
After all we’ve been through together, only a fool would listen to dollar signs.
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