Suns' Chris Paul Diagnosed with Fractured Thumb Injury, Will Miss at Least 6-8 Weeks

Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul has suffered an avulsion fracture of his right thumb and will be sidelined for approximately two months.

TNT's Allie LaForce announced Paul's injury during the pregame coverage of Sunday's All-Star Game, noting he will be reevaluated in six to eight weeks but still plans to play a few minutes in the exhibition contest.

Although the Suns put a strong foundation in place with Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges, their emergence as an NBA championship contender coincided with Paul's arrival in a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder ahead of the 2020-21 season.

They reached last year's NBA Finals before falling short against the Milwaukee Bucks and are squarely in the mix once again. Paul continues to produce at a high level, averaging 14.9 points, 10.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 58 appearances this season.

Injuries have been a consistent factor in the 36-year-old Wake Forest product's decorated career—he's only played a full 82-game season once—but he's been durable since arriving in Phoenix despite this injury.

The Suns are rolling toward a high seed in the 2022 Western Conference playoffs, so they can afford to remain conservative with any injuries Paul deals with down the stretch. They'll need him as close to 100 percent as possible for the postseason.