It is difficult to imagine Chris Paul taking roughly $50 million less on his next contract by leaving the Los Angeles Clippers, but there is a growing sense of belief that he is giving serious consideration to doing just that.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype.com spoke with several NBA players and executives, and the general consensus among them is that Paul could sign with the San Antonio Spurs this summer.
Executives and players around the NBA absolutely believe Chris Paul to the Spurs is a realistic possibility. Free agency starts in 19 days.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 13, 2017
When Paul opts out of his contract, the Clippers will be able to offer him a max contract worth $205 million over five years. The Spurs — or any other team — can “only” offer a four-year deal worth roughly $153 million. But Paul recently turned 32, and he has already earned more than $158 million in his career. If he thinks the Spurs give him a better chance to win a title than the Clippers, he might be willing to take significantly less.
In order to sign Paul, the Spurs would need to shed a bunch of contracts. One of those could be fan favorite Tony Parker, who suffered a serious injury during the playoffs and is set to make $15 million in the final year of his deal next season. Even if CP3 does want to play for San Antonio, there would be a lot of hurdles to clear.
Not only that, but the Spurs won’t be the only team interested in Paul if he decides he wants to leave L.A. We have already heard rumblings about a scenario with another team that may interest CP3 even more.
If nothing else, Paul will likely use reports about his interest in leaving the Clippers as leverage to get them to commit to assembling a title contender this summer.
