Report: Clippers an ‘overwhelming favorite’ to keep Chris Paul

Chris Paul is fully expected to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers this year, but that hardly means he intends to leave the team.

As speculation continues to grow that the San Antonio Spurs could look to add Paul this summer, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical said in a recent appearance on CBS Radio that it would be a huge surprise if CP3 left L.A.

“I don’t know where that came from, and I’ve spent a lot of time around the Spurs this spring. They would have to just tear up that entire payroll. It’s almost unlike anything the Spurs would have done or would do to,” Wojnarowski said, as transcribed by Dan Feldman of Pro Basketball Talk. “To even have a chance at him, they’d have to really gut the roster. And to do that for a 30-plus-year-old point guard, who has a couple great years left, there’s no question – I think there’s more pressure on the Clippers to have to re-sign him than for the Spurs to turn their whole franchise over to make a run at him.

The Clippers can offer Paul a max contract worth $205 million over five years. Any other team — like the Spurs — can “only” offer a four-year deal for about $153 million. Even if Paul feels he would have a better chance to win a title in San Antonio, that’s an awful lot of money to turn down.

“Listen, Chris Paul, financially, the difference with him being able to stay in L.A. and get paid, I’d still have a hard time imagining him leaving there,” Wojnarowski added. “There’s so much money for him to be made. And in that Los Angeles market, in terms of his marketing endorsements, I still think they’re a pretty overwhelming favorite to re-sign him.”

If Tony Parker decides to retire in the wake of his recent injury, the Spurs may be more inclined to put on a full-court press for CP3. According to one report, that is something the Clippers are concerned about. That said, money is almost always a significant factor. You have to feel good about that if you’re an L.A. fan who wants to keep your star point guard.