Evaluating five rumored Chris Paul replacements for Suns

The Phoenix Suns have opted to shift their future focus away from a backcourt featuring Devin Booker and Chris Paul and instead appear set to target a younger option. Following the Suns' decision to part with the 38-year-old, 12-time All-Star, rumors began running rampant over who would be featured in the backcourt next to Booker.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the team has already shown some level of interest in five different players. The headliner for the Suns appears to be New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley, who Fischer stated the Suns hold "in high regard" dating back to his entry in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Among the other names on the list from Fischer is Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard, Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell, Monte Morris of the Washington Wizards and, finally, Miami Heat guard Gabe Vincent, who's become a household name in recent months. Any of these final four names appear likely to be realistic options for Suns.

Evaluating the Suns' options to replace Chris Paul

Pairing the right guard with a duo of Booker and Kevin Durant will be somewhat pivotal for the Suns and their pursuit of a championship. While having the "right" player paired in the backcourt with Booker isn't a daunting task on the surface, the Suns don't need to target a high-volume scorer, but they also need to weigh whether it makes sense to acquire a player via trade or evaluate how the free-agency class will look.

Names like Quickley and Pritchard won't be restricted free agents until the 2024 offseason, while Mitchell won't land there until 2025. Morris is under contract for one more season with the Wizards and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024, while Vincent is set to become a free agent this offseason.

Acquiring Quickley, who averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 28.9 minutes this season, will almost certainly require the most in a trade package in comparison to the other names on the list. Pritchard has fallen out of the rotation in Boston, but the Celtics could still receive a decent package if/when they opt to trade him, and he could be a solid scoring threat if the team opts to let Booker and Durant take on most of the ball-handling duties.

Morris, Mitchell or Vincent could make the most sense for the Suns given that all three can score and have flashed upside with their passing abilities as well. Most importantly, Phoenix may not need to break the bank in order to acquire them. Morris is coming off a career-best season from a passing perspective, averaging 5.3 assists per game and has shot 48 percent or better from the field in each of the past three seasons.

As for Mitchell and Vincent, both could prove to be more costly for the Suns to acquire than Morris. This stems from the fact that they'd have to trade for Mitchell, who's only 24 years old, and Vincent has likely earned a larger free-agent contract following a strong postseason.

Quickley or Mitchell would be ideal for Suns

Quickley will likely be a long shot for the Suns unless they manage to strike a deal that includes Deandre Ayton heading to the Big Apple. Adding Quickley to the mix would make sense if the Suns opt to use Ayton as a trade piece in a deal to acquire their next point guard, as he's only 23 years old and can pull some attention off Booker and Durant.

If the Suns had their choice of the above group of five players, Quickley should be at the top of the list, followed by Mitchell. Both players are young with upside and the ability to grow into a role next to Booker and Durant, and either of the two would add some firepower alongside the star duo. The question of what it'd take to acquire either player will be the make-or-break in all of this, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Suns make a deal happen.