The San Antonio Spurs entered NBA free agency on Sunday with the goal of finding veterans to team up with a generational talent in that of Victor Wembanyama.
Gregg Popovich and Co. had primarily been linked to point guards in both free agency and on the trade block. It did not take too long for the Spurs to make a splash.
Mere hours after he was waived by the Golden State Warriors, 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul has agreed to sign with the Spurs. Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report was the first to report the news.
Paul, 39, was owed $30 million in non-guaranteed cash next season. Golden State attempted to work out a trade involving the future Hall of Famer, including a blockbuster with the Los Angeles Clippers for Paul George. Nothing came to fruition on that end, leading to Paul hitting the open market.
Related: Updated San Antonio Spurs news and rumors
San Antonio Spurs get veteran point guard in Chris Paul
We’re not going to pretend that Paul is the player he used to be. At his advanced age, he’s more of a role player. Last season saw the all-time great averaged 9.2 points to go with 3.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists on 44% shooting from the field. It’s a far cry from his heyday.
Even then, he’ll provide the necessary veteran presence and calming influence for a young Spurs team. In particular, Paul’s presence with Wemby is going to make a difference over the short-term.
Despite being involved in rumors about potential blockbuster trades this summer, it seems as if the Spurs are going for more short-term moves. They are coming off a 60-loss season. They have a ton of draft assets moving forward. Thinking long-term seems to make the most sense right now. Signing CP3 adds another layer to this.