When the Clippers traded for Chris Paul last December, it was understood that they would have him short-term unless he agreed to sign an extension with the team. Luckily for the Clippers Paul opted-in for a second season with the team, but he declined their 3-year $60 million contract extension offer last week.
“I know why I didn’t sign my extension,” Paul said on Sunday, according to the New York Daily News. “I’m going to play this season out and see what my options are.
“I love where I am, I love playing with the Clippers and I love playing with this guy (Blake Griffin),” Paul said. “At the end of the year I’ll weigh all my options. That will be my top priority going into next summer.”
It’s commonly believed that Paul elected to pass on the extension so that he could sign a five-year $108 million contract after next season, but his insistence that he’ll keep all his options open could make Clippers fans nervous.
The New York media is still pushing for the Knicks big 3 that Paul reportedly toasted to at Carmelo Anthony’s wedding two years ago. Acquiring Paul would be difficult for them given how much they owe Melo, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler, so you figure Melo or Amar’e would have to be traded to make a CP3 deal possible.
Paul reportedly has been recruiting players to the Clippers which is a strong indicator that he might be there long-term, but his insistence that he’s keeping his options open should make Clippers fans nervous. And as we saw with Kevin Love’s comments over the weekend, a lot can change in the NBA in a year.
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