By turning down the three-year, $60 million offer the Clippers extended to him over the weekend, Chris Paul has given L.A. fans a reason to worry. Things are finally starting to look up for their franchise, but what would happen if one of the most important pieces of their future decides to leave town? According to Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld, it doesn’t appear that Clippers fans have to be concerned about that.
It is believed that Paul simply turned down the $60 million offer because he will be eligible for a five-year, $110 million extension after next season. Some people feel as though Paul is looking to see what Dwight Howard does so he can team up with him in 2013, but Kennedy said Paul has spent the past several days “aggressively recruiting for the Clippers.” He has reportedly spoken to a number of free agents in an attempt to sell them on the promising direction the Clippers are headed.
Not only that, but Paul has also been training with and spending down time with the younger players on the team like Eric Bledsoe, Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins. Paul even reportedly flew Leslie and Thompkins to Las Vegas last weekend for a few parties he was hosting.
It seems to make the most sense for Paul to stay in L.A. rather than continue to bounce around. In Paul’s first season with the team, the Clippers had a winning record and qualified for the playoffs — feats they have accomplished only twice in the past 15 years. With co-stars like Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, Paul has himself in position to be a part of one of the better teams in the West for years to come. From the sound of it, that’s something he fully understands.
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