SAN ANTONIO — Could the Spurs bring Chris Paul to San Antonio for Victor Wembanyama's rookie season? Should they?
News broke Wednesday that the Phoenix Suns told the 38-year-old point guard they would either waive him or try to trade him before his contract becomes fully guaranteed in July. Many Spurs fans have strong and negative feelings about CP3, but it's hard to deny that he'd be an intriguing veteran leader to pair with the 19-year-old big man as he enters the league.
Construct in your mind the ideal old head to help mentor and set up Wembanyama in the early stages of his career. He'd have to be a skilled and willing distributor, a true professional, a psychotic competitor, a floor spacer, a pick and roll PHD. Experience as a star player and a mentor is a plus.
Chris Paul brings all of this in spades. He has been playing NBA basketball for the vast majority of Wemby's young life. The 12-time All-Star has bounced around and rubbed some fans and opponents the wrong way, but he's rightfully regarded as one of the great point guards in the history of the game.
Paul has averaged about 18 points 9.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game in his career, and last season he was at 14, 9 and 4. Last season at age 37 Paul had more assists per game than all but four other players: James Harden, Tyrese Haliburton, Trae Young and Nikola Jokic. He ran the highest percentage of pick and roll plays in the league, he rarely turns it over, and he has seen and dissected every single defensive coverage countless times.
He's been on contenders breaking hearts in the playoffs, he's been on rebuilding teams sharing his knowledge and competitive spirit, and everywhere he's been he's helped the players around him elevate their games.
Think about what a veteran like that could do for a teenager a foot and a half taller than him with all the potential in the world. He would make sure everyone was in the right spot and get it to Wemby and everyone open because of Wemby in the most dangerous spots, a steady hand and a coach on the floor. Off it, he has so much to teach everyone in that locker room.
Imagine Gregg Popovich running film and asking Chris Paul to explain his thought process on a particular play to the class. Imagine all those youngsters picking his brain in practice and on the bench and watching his daily habits. Some would argue that he would take opportunities away from San Antonio's younger players, others would point out that it doesn't seem like he has hindered the development of his young teammates in, for example, Phoenix and Oklahoma City.
If you're in love with the idea of Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson getting a bunch of primary creation opportunities, bringing Paul in doesn't fit with that vision. If you'd rather have a quality veteran point guard to run the show and show the youngins how to run things, you'd be hard pressed to find a better option.
Pop has a tremendous amount of respect for Paul, giving him a series of glowing compliments in 2020.
“I hate Chris Paul,” he joked before continuing in earnest. “If a young player can understand what Chris Paul can give them, then it’s a huge boon to his career. Chris is an alpha. He’s a natural leader. He takes no prisoners. He suffers no fools. He’s there to win.”
He said players with that kind of influence are rare.
“It’s less common than one would think,” Popovich said. “There aren’t one or two of those on every NBA team. Some NBA teams don’t have any. He’s a special dude.”
The respect appears to be mutual. Reporting from back in 2017 suggests that Paul was considering signing with the Spurs, but was worried that Pop wouldn't be coaching for much longer.
Reporting from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski indicates that the Suns are exploring trade options including both Paul and Deandre Ayton, but if they also may waive Paul and stretch his contract over several years. There's also a possibility that the Suns bring him back on a restructured deal, and Woj reported that Paul would like to return to Phoenix. It seems like all options are on the table.
Paul's contract for next season is $30.8 million, but only $15.8 million is guaranteed if he's waived before July 28. For 2024-25, his salary of $30 million is not guaranteed.
The Spurs have cap space to absorb that money and a selection of veteran players and draft picks that they could send out, depending on what the Suns are after.
If he's waived San Antonio would be one of the only teams with the cap space to claim him and pay his contract, though that seems quite expensive and the Suns would have to waive him near the start of free agency for that to be a realistic possibility. If he becomes a free agent, the Spurs would have the flexibility to offer him a substantial amount of money.
Many Spurs fans have spent much of the last two decades hating Chris Paul as a rival, and weren't too excited about the possibility of bringing him on. Some accused him of being a flopper, a cheap shot artist, a scoundrel. Others pointed out that he has struggled to stay healthy, and at this stage in his career he may just be dead set on joining the best team he can to chase the ring that has eluded his grasp for his entire career.
So what could the Spurs offer him that other teams couldn't in free agency? It's a pretty simple case for them to make, and it goes something like this: "We have Pop, Wemby, an exciting young core, and the ability to pay you more than anybody else. And if you come along with Wemby, we'll be leaps and bounds more competitive than last year."
Is that enough to woo him away from teaming up with his good friend LeBron or joining another team closer to a championship? Who knows? It depends entirely on what he wants in the last few years of his career. He's made plenty of money, so the financial incentive might not make a big difference for him especially if it costs him a chance to compete. But maybe Pop and the front office can convince him that he could be a key piece of a playoff push in the near future.
How expensive is too expensive for the Spurs? How many years is too many years to commit? Would you play Wemby at the five alongside Paul, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan? Would one of those guys move to the bench so Zach Collins could be a center for Wembanyama? Those are all valid questions.
Spurs fans seemed fairly divided in a poll after the news broke. What do you think? Let us know on Twitter.