News broke on Sunday that free agent point guard Chris Paul will be signing a one-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs worth over $11 million. This move came swiftly after the Golden State Warriors decided to waive Paul just as his $30 million salary for the 2024-25 season was about to be guaranteed. The Spurs wasted no time in securing the deal, showing a keen interest in adding Paul to their roster.
Chris Paul, at the age of 39, is poised to embark on his 20th NBA season with the San Antonio Spurs under the guidance of coach Gregg Popovich. The team aims to create a competitive lineup around their 20-year-old star center Victor Wembanyama. Popovich had high praise for Paul after facing off against the Warriors, commending his leadership and competitive spirit, highlighting him as one of the best competitors in league history.
In his previous season with the Warriors, Paul, a 12-time All-Star, adapted to a bench role with only 18 starting appearances out of 58 games played. His stats showed an average of 9.2 points and 6.8 assists in 26.4 minutes, with improved numbers of 11.9 points and 7.3 assists in his starting games. Paul’s impressive career stats place him third all-time in NBA assists, boasting 11,894 assists to his name.
The Spurs identified a gap at the point guard position, leading them to pursue Chris Paul to fill the void. The team experimented with different players like Jeremy Sochan and Tre Jones in the past but ultimately found the need to solidify the position. With the addition of Stephon Castle through this year’s draft, the team is looking to strengthen their lineup further as Castle aims to contribute at the point guard position, echoing Paul’s sentiments of wanting to play in that role.
Returning to Texas where he previously spent two seasons with the Houston Rockets from 2017 to 2019, Paul brings a wealth of experience and leadership to the San Antonio Spurs. As he inches closer to becoming the 11th player in NBA history to reach 20 seasons, Paul’s presence on the team is expected to bring a new dynamic and added depth to the roster.
Leave a Reply