Spurs Rumors: Chris Paul Will Consider the Team in Free Agency

Chris Paul will reportedly give the San Antonio Spurs ‘serious consideration’ when NBA free agency kicks off.

The San Antonio Spurs have had Tony Parker stabilizing the point guard position for about 15 years. He’s provided a steady force in the past four championships the franchise has won, winning the NBA Finals MVP Award in 2007.

However, Parker’s future is up in the air, after tearing his quadriceps in the playoffs. He’s already targeting a January return, but that’s not something the team may be able to bank on happening. So outside options could come into play in the offseason, especially with Patty Mills also being a free agent.

Well, there’s one option that’s continuing to gain steam, and that’s Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers. ESPN’s Marc Stein is reporting that Paul will give the Spurs “serious consideration” this offseason.

League sources tell me that Chris Paul intends to give San Antonio serious consideration in free agency if he decides to leave the Clippers.

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 2, 2017

On ESPN.com, Stein noted how Paul is “intrigued” by the possibility of joining the Spurs. This is from two pieces: head coach Gregg Popovich and Kawhi Leonard. 

Sources told ESPN that Paul, for all of his undeniable fondness for Los Angeles, is intrigued by the idea of teaming up with the likes of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and Most Valuable Player top-three finalist Kawhi Leonard in his quest to achieve the deep playoff success that has eluded Paul to this point in his career.

The Spurs are also likely to get a meeting with Paul on July 1. This will be while the Clippers plan on how they can keep their prized point guard around.

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Acquiring CP3 would be San Antonio’s biggest offseason acquisition since signing LaMarcus Aldridge in 2015. He would be the ultimate replacement for Parker, going as far as to giving the team its own “big three.”

However, bringing in Paul will likely cause the San Antonio front office to reshape most of the roster. That would mean renouncing the rights to all of the team’s free agents, potentially needing Manu Ginobili to retire and Pau Gasol to not come back (he has a player option for next season).

The process would be similar to how the Golden State Warriors reconstructed its roster after the 2016 NBA Finals. Bringing in Kevin Durant made them have to bring in low-cost free agents or players willing to take less money to fill out the bench, so the Spurs may have head down this path if they can sign Paul.

Next: Tony Parker's Injury and Future of PG Position

It could become a battle of Western Conference teams for Paul’s services in July. Others will likely join the hunt, too, making this one of the offseason’s most interesting storylines.