Analyst makes strong case for Spurs poaching Chris Paul from Suns
By Cal Durrett
![Chris Paul Chris Paul](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4996,h_2810,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/29/01h2hk059xsxnz1rd63q.jpg)
In just a few days, the San Antonio Spurs will officially select Victor Wembanyama first overall in this year's draft. With a potential superstar joining the roster, many fans have turned their attention to the team's other biggest need: point guard.
There have been rumors that the Spurs could trade up in the draft to take a point guard, but that probably wouldn't give the team immediate help at the position. They could also possibly re-sign Trae Jones and have him continue on as a stop-gap starter while experimenting with non-point guard options.
Or, they could make a play for the "Point God" Chris Paul this summer. Paul is expected to either be waived or traded by the Phoenix Suns, and the Spurs would make for an unlikely but sensible destination.
The Spurs have the assets and flexibility to acquire Paul
“Immediately they would be a good team, and just from a purely developmental standpoint it would be great for Wemby to have somebody like Chris Paul teaching him the nuances of pick and roll.”@KevinOConnorNBA intrigued by the possibility of CP3 in San Antonio pic.twitter.com/vHIfNHuXYu
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) June 9, 2023
If Paul is waived, they could theoretically claim him, something that is rarely done anymore, especially for players with $15.8 million in guaranteed salary. Then again, if he were to clear waivers, he probably wouldn't sign with the Spurs. Another option is for the Suns and Spurs to agree to a trade. That might be the preferable option for both teams.
The Spurs could technically absorb his full $30.8 million salary for next season into their upcoming cap space to help both them reach the salary floor and the Suns shed salary. Other trade packages could see the Spurs and Suns swap point guards. The Spurs could theoretically sign and trade Jones and perhaps the 33rd and 44th picks in this year's draft for Paul, assuming that Jones would be interested in playing for Phoenix and that the Suns are interested in him.
Then again, perhaps Devonte Graham and his shooting, one of the aforementioned second-round picks, and Charlotte's first-round pick (lottery-protected in 2024 and 2025), would be more enticing to the Suns. Especially with other potential suitors like the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers lacking picks to offer and Phoenix light on them after the Kevin Durant trade.
Chris Paul could help a young Spurs team get better
Paul would be worth it since he has helped many of the teams he's joined reach new heights including the "Lob City" Clippers, a rebuilding Oklahoma Thunder, and the Phoenix Suns. He could do the same for the Spurs, helping create shots out of the pick-and-roll for the likes of Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, and, of course, Wembanyama.
The Spurs probably won't have to many issues getting the ball to their new 7'4 big-man but getting the ball to him in the right spots is the key and something Paul can definitely do. Just imagine him tossing lobs to Wembanyama and helping him get easy basket after easy basket, aiding his transition to the NBA.
And while Paul certainly isn't the same player he once was, he could still help the team win games simply by helping the team get off to better starts in the first and second halves and closing some games. Whether Paul ends up in Silver and Back, remains to be seen and will largely depend on what the Suns decide to do with him. If he does land with the Spurs, he could prove to be a big help for a young team.
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