Report: Spurs could be suitors for Chris Paul if he parts ways with Warriors
Paul to the Spurs would make some sense, but it’s too early in the offseason to know if it’s even a realistic possibility.
The season has been over for only a few days for the Spurs but the rumors involving them are starting to crop up. The latest has them as a potential suitor for Chris Paul if the future Hall-of-Famer parts ways with the Warriors, as Mark Stein wrote in his Substack ($):
“A potential team to watch, should Paul and the Warriors part ways, is San Antonio, Among the early personnel rumbles in circulation: The Spurs could emerge as a Paul suitor if they decide to pursue some veteran know-how on a short-term contract basis to furnish presumptive Rookie of the Year winner Victor Wembanyama with more seasoned help in Year 2.”
Let’s take a closer look at the rumor.
Why Paul to the Spurs makes sense
The Spurs seem done experimenting with the point guard position. They settled on Tre Jones as their starter this past season and Blake Wesley as his backup. Paul, even at age 39, could improve the rotation, as he’s a better shooter than both and has experience on winning teams and playing next to other stars. San Antonio could offer him a start position while keeping his minutes down by relying on Jones and always have a good floor general on the court. For a team that struggled so much with turnovers, bringing in an extra steady hand could be valuable.
Paul is also a pick-and-roll master who could help in the half court. He punished the Spurs’ drop coverage for years and could form a scary duo with Victor Wembanyama to do the same to others. If teams have their center stick with Wemby to avoid the lob, Paul can consistently hit mid-range jumpers, and if they step up to contain him he will find Victor for alley-oops. San Antonio wouldn’t be getting the star version of Paul, but as a stopgap veteran, he makes sense on the court.
Why Paul to the Spurs doesn’t make sense
How does Paul actually get to San Antonio, exactly? The Warriors could guarantee the last year of his contract worth just north of $30 million in hopes of trading him for reinforcements, but should the Spurs spend assets on a guard who is close to retirement? It doesn’t seem rational. And the Warriors wouldn’t go for a package that includes some of Devonte’ Graham, Zach Collins and maybe Jones. Golden State could simply not guarantee his contract, making him a free agent, but why would Paul choose the Spurs then, when he could go to a contender? Or why wouldn’t he simply re-sign with the Warriors for less to stay with them, which is what Stein says he prefers?
Beyond cap logistics, the other big question is do the Spurs need Paul? It could be a good signal to Wembanyama that they are trying to improve, but Paul is no longer a difference-maker, so if he’s their big addition, the playoffs would remain a distant possibility. He would bring more order to the offense but doing so might necessitate playing at a lower pace and taking the ball out of younger players’ hands, which doesn’t seem ideal. It could be a decent short-term move but no long-term plans that can involve a 39-year-old.
Don’t celebrate or panic, because Paul to the Spurs seems unlikely
Whether you like the idea of adding Paul or hate it, the reality is it seems like an unlikely scenario. Stein says Paul is comfortable in Golden State, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him re-sign at a lower salary. He’s not a starter on a contender at this point, but plenty of good teams could use him, so if he leaves his current team he’ll have plenty of offers from established playoff hopefuls. Getting the opportunity to start as well as playing under Popovich and next to Wembanyama could be enticing but Paul doesn’t have many years left in the NBA and moving again to a city he doesn’t know instead of prioritizing familiarity or chasing a ring makes little sense for him.
As for the Spurs, while adding Paul would help steady them in the short term, it would halt the development of Blake Wesley, who showed some promise, while not catapulting them into contention. It would be a relatively minor move, which would fit the reports that they are not doing anything drastic this offseason, but one with several potential roadblocks.
Paul and the Spurs will likely be linked until the point guard’s future is decided, but the realities of his situation and San Antonio’s make his addition tricky.
