The Houston Rockets beat out the San Antonio Spurs as Chris Paul’s Texas team destination of choice, and now we’re getting a bit of an idea why.
Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated reports Thursday that while the nine-time All-Star point guard was “seriously interested” in signing with San Antonio, concerns over the respective situations of LaMarcus Aldridge and Tony Parker ultimately tempered his interest.
Per Spears:
Paul was seriously interested in playing for the Spurs, according to a source. But with Aldridge’s status with the Spurs up in the air, it made the situation less attractive. It probably would have been awkward for Paul to take the starting role over longtime Spurs point guard, respected foe and friend Tony Parker.
The Spurs appeared to be the non-Clippers frontrunner to land Paul’s services earlier this month. But the Aldridge situation is messy, and Parker has been San Antonio’s starting point guard for the last 16 seasons. Ultimately, the chance to play alongside James Harden on a younger team with greater financial flexibility proved too much for Paul to turn down.
