A new report suggests the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers are the early favorites in a potential chase for future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul in NBA free agency.
The Spurs and Lakers ended the 2023-24 season in very different places on the NBA standings. San Antonio ended the year with one of the worst records in the league, while Los Angeles was a playoff team again. Nevertheless, they came up well short of the ultimate goal and now enter the offseason was the same need.
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One-time All-Star D’Angelo Russell is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract in the coming weeks and leave a void at the starting point guard spot. The Spurs have a burgeoning superstar in Victor Wembanyama who needs some veteran help and a proven floor general to better set him up on the offensive side of the ball.
Well, it seems the pair of Western Conference teams may be eyeing the same player in 2024 NBA free agency. “The Spurs and the Lakers keep coming up as potential suitors for the Warriors’ Chris Paul if Paul becomes a free agent this offseason,” veteran NBA insider Marc Stein wrote in a new Substack post on Thursday.
Stein also mentioned that Paul’s long-time friendship with Lakers star Lebron James, and a preference to stay close to his family and LA home gives the gold-and-purple a strong chance to land his services.
- Chris Paul stats (2023-24): 26.4 MPG, 9.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 37% 3PT
Chris Paul is not officially a free agent and is still signed to a contract with the Golden State Warriors for next season. However, he has a $30 million team option that many around the NBA expect the team to opt out of before it becomes guaranteed on June 28. However, the league insider offered up an interesting bit of information that may alter the Spurs and Lakers’ approach to landing the 12-time All-Star.
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“Another option, I’m told, that has not yet been ruled out is Golden State and Paul agreeing to move that guarantee date into July — although it can’t be done unilaterally. The Warriors would need Paul’s consent for such an alteration, which would expand the window to explore potential trades,” Stein wrote.
