The Phoenix Suns and Chris Paul have had great success in the last three years.

When Paul was traded to the team before the 2020-21 season, he was expected to lead it to the playoffs. Instead, they got all the way to the NBA Finals.

The Suns followed that up with a franchise-best 64 wins in the 2021-22 season. Phoenix lost in the Western Conference semifinals, which has deterred some of its momentum it found with Paul in the team's first season with him.

Now, the Suns have to make a decision if they will keep Paul for the 2023-24 season. His $30.8 million salary for the 2023-24 season becomes guaranteed June 28, unless the Suns waive him before that date.

Two weeks ago, Chris Haynes reported the Suns decided to waive Paul. The Athletic's Shams Charania and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said the team is exploring its options with Paul, including waiving him, stretching his contract or trading him.

ClutchPoints broke down the options for the Suns surrounding Paul's future. If the Suns want to keep him, they will probably waive him and bring him back on a deal as an unrestricted free agent. Paul would likely sign a minimum deal to return.

Paul reportedly said he would like to remain in Phoenix. Here are three ways the Suns could use him in 2023-24.

1. Decoy

The Suns have two of the top-10 players in the NBA, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. They're bound to give the Suns at least 50 points every night and will be the focal point of every defense.

Paul has been featured in the Suns' offense as a scorer and passer. Under coach Monty Williams' point-five offensive strategy — in which players shoot, dribble or pass within half a second — Paul used screens to open up his playmaking, and he was an effective shot-maker. He busted drop pick-and-roll coverages in which teams use their bigs to stay in the paint and protect the rim and encourage jump shots around the free-throw line.

He is 38 years old and can still hurt teams from those spots. But if the Suns want to have their best chance at a championship, Paul cannot be the primary option.

The Suns' offense could be orchestrated by their associate head coach from the last two seasons and now-assistant under Frank Vogel, Kevin Young. He has the respect of players, including Booker, and was at one point endorsed by Paul in a press conference.

With Williams, the Suns encouraged Paul to be a catch-and-shoot player last season. He shot 52.3 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s in the regular season, according to NBA Stats. In the playoffs, he shot just 31.3 percent.

Unfortunately for Paul, he has been limited in the Suns' playoff runs. He suffered a shoulder contusion and had torn ligaments in his wrist in 2021. The next year, he had a reported quad injury. In 2023, he suffered a groin strain in Phoenix's Western Conference semifinal series versus the Denver Nuggets. He did not play in Games 3 through 6.

Booker and Durant encouraged Paul to shoot more in the playoffs. He will still have a role for Phoenix but the team needs to run most of its offense through Durant and Booker.

2. Off-ball sets

Paul is the primary playmaker as a point guard. Young is known for his offensive creativity and can create sets om which Paul can maximize himself as an off-ball player.

If he returns, Paul needs to be preserved for the playoffs. The Suns are aware of that. He played 59 games last season, and the Suns were slow to bring him back when he had a heel injury in November.

Hopefully for Phoenix, it can utilize Paul in a way that throws teams off balance. If the Suns can run actions that force mismatches, they can use Paul as an option off the ball who can go against pick-and-roll defenses in different areas of the floor.

That would make teams uncomfortable. It is much easier to predict a team's pick-and-roll game if it as an option angled at the center of the basket. The Suns can force defenses into uncomfortable spots if they can run Paul off screens and go into a pick-and-roll set with a forward on him. Phoenix could use its big as a roller or go with guard-to-guard or guard-to-forward actions to create short roll shots, 3-pointers off the pop and short corner shots.

Durant is a unique player since he can create his own shot, shoot from the post and be an effective passer. The Suns could really frustrate their opponents if they can use Paul in different ways.

3. Spurts

The Suns should be able to get plenty from Booker, who is 26 years old, and Durant, who is 34 but averaged close to 30 points per game in the playoffs, in terms of energy. Phoenix will preserve Paul as much as it can, but it's not like he is old and unable to be very capable of scoring.

Paul was not far below his averages from his first two years with the Suns. He averaged 13.9 points per game in the regular season and was top-five in the league in assists (8.9). Paul has said he is not planning to retire anytime soon.

He is still quick and can beat guards off the dribble. Paul is also crafty and can pull out nifty hesitation moves. Not to mention, his rip-through on opponents who have their hands too high on the ball is certain to get the Suns closer to the bonus.

Paul is absolutely a player who can be used in the Suns' sets as a playmaker to create for his own shot. In fact, they will need it since Booker and Durant can only carry a certain load.

It is possible the Suns would have beaten the Denver Nuggets advanced to the NBA Finals if Paul were healthy. If they have him for next season, these things can help him stay healthy and be effective for a championship team.