Anyone expecting Chris Paul to leave his Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns squad could be in for some disappointment.

In Friday’s (July 30) episode of ESPN’s “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” podcast, Brian Windhorst says folks around the NBA don’t expect CP3 to depart from the team, which made it all the way to the NBA Finals this year after not even making the playoffs for the 2019-2020 season.

“The feeling within the league now is that Chris Paul is going to stay put in Phoenix,” Windhorst said on the pod. “Whether or not he is going to opt out and sign a new deal or extend his contract or whatever, the belief is Chris Paul will not ever be on the open market.”

Now, this is a fairly vague report, but it would also make sense if it were true. Considering that he’s in the latter stages of his career, most people would expect CP3 to head to a contending team that is looking for a dynamic playmaker who can score the ball.

While the Suns did make it to the NBA Finals, many people think that they did so because of injuries to LeBron, Anthony Davis, Jamal Murray and Kawhi Leonard, all players who were either unavailable or significantly hampered when the Suns played them in the playoffs. There had been rumors that CP3 would be open to joining his good friend LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers, but because the Lakers just traded for Russell Westbrook, that doesn’t seem possible.

At 36, CP3 is at an age where most players have seen their abilities take a major downturn. However, with his blend of cerebral passing, shotmaking and defensive prowess, CP remains a formidable point guard. He is coming off another All-NBA season after averaging 16.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 8.9 assists, so there’s no doubt he can contribute at a high level.

This report arrives one day after the 2021 NBA Draft, which may or may not have changed the destiny of a lot of NBA teams. Fans can see how other teams alter their fate when NBA free agency begins next week.