The Phoenix Suns are out of the NBA Playoffs far earlier than anyone expected after being upset by the Denver Nuggets and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

While Jokic played an incredible series and helped by a strong supporting cast, part of the Suns issues boiled down to injuries. future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul only played in the first two games of their series due to a groin injury, while center Deandre Ayton bowed out before their Game 6 loss with a rib injury, leaving both players are on the hot seat in Phoenix.

Ayton, who seemingly receives most of the criticism when the Suns struggle, is a strong candidate to be traded. However, recent rumors suggest that the Suns are highly motivated to move on from Paul, who turned 38-years-old at the beginning of the month and seems to want to a new environment himself.

With that said, there are going to be a number of teams interested in trading for him, though it would have to be at the right price.

3 best trade destinations for disgruntled Suns star Chris Paul

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets seem motivated to add a veteran player and with second-year Ime Udoka now leading their young team, veteran experience really should be prioritized. However, finding the balance between adding a leader that brings the best out of his teammates and showing up in key moments will be crucial with this group.

Chris Paul has averaged 9.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game over the past three seasons with the Phoenix Suns, leading the league in assists last seasons with 10.8 per game. More importantly, though he's averaged a modest but respectably 15.1 points per game in that stretch, about a third of his average has been scored in the fourth quarter.

Capable of carrying the Rockets to the finish line, the ball-dominant CP3's biggest obstacle will be allowing Houston's multitude of playmakers to utilize their passing strengths. That said, the game of basketball is easiest with great ball-movement, and the Rockets could get each other plenty of easy shots so long as Udoka makes it a point to keep rotating their lead initiator.

Houston has a steep hill to climb to a be a championship-contender but even after trading for Paul, they would have a minimum of a projected $43 million to spend in free agency, as well as what's projected to be a top-4 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers seem to have been looking for a fitting point guard throughout LeBron James tenure with the storied franchise.

After trying and failing to get Russell Westbrook to fit a role unsuited for his play style, the Lakers turned their attention to polarizing point guard Kyrie Irving. No matter the reason — and there are likely many — that a trade for Irving never materialized, L.A. then acquired one of their own former draft picks in D'Angelo Russell.

The experience with Russell has been a roller coaster of sorts, peaking with a couple of strong playoff performances but often bottoming out quickly.

Whether the Lakers believe they've seen enough in his up-and-down return to re-sign him or not is difficult to tell. However, the prospect of L.A. adding Chris Paul with LeBron James is tantalizing in and of its own accord. Furthermore, with Paul's propensity to run pick-and-rolls to perfection, the Lakers may see the best they've seen of Anthony Davis yet.

Sharing playmaking responsibilities with LeBron, it isn't hyperbole to say that CP3 and LeBron would have the highest combined basketball IQ of any two players to share the floor. At this moment and perhaps in league history.

When the playoffs come, their ability to play chess is what will separate the Lakers from other teams.

The only question is what L.A. would be willing to give up to for him, as Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba are unlikely to be enough to satisfy the Phoenix Suns.

Toronto Raptors

In terms of teams with the type of personnel that would captivate the Phoenix Suns, the Toronto Raptors likely have the best chance to acquire Chris Paul.

Whether it was a sign-and-trade involving Fred VanVleet, the addition of 3-and-D guard Gary Trent Jr., or the arrival of lockdown defender OG Anunoby, the Suns would likely feel like they came out on top.

However, for the Raptors, it would simply allow them to replace VanVleet or Trent in free agency.

Even trading Anunoby serves the purpose of removing some of the clutter from the starting lineup.

Part of Toronto's issue has been that there's simply too many mouths to feed. When players don't feel they're getting their touches they tend to play a bit more selfishly, whether they realize it or not. Having a lot of talent is a great problem to have, but having the right mix of talent is more important.

Paul is a player that accepts a tertiary scoring role, often waiting until he's really needed to make a bucket to get aggressive. Otherwise, Paul is manipulating defenses with his basketball IQ and making life easier for his teammates by getting them the ball where they need it.

CP3 would likely be a great addition beside Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam, players that excel at getting to the rim and play in a heavy pick-and-roll offense. So long as Paul allows both players to utilize their point-forward abilities then the chemistry could make for poetic basketball.