Chris Paul is one of the most talented players available on the NBA free agent market. And as one could expect, there will be no shortage to land his services.
The 32-year-old veteran point guard finished his current deal with Los Angeles Clippers, so he can decide his future destination. Several franchises will certainly try to land him, but there is a clear front-runner even if the season has not ended yet. We are talking about the San Antonio Spurs.
The 32-year-old Paul is one of the best point guards to step on an NBA hardwood. However, he hasn’t had the chance to play in an NBA final. First with the New Orleans Hornets and then with the Clippers, Paul has not even sniffed an NBA title. So with that in mind, we can expect him to choose a winning franchise. He’s not getting any younger, and it wouldn’t make sense for him to join a rebuilding team. He wants to win, and soon.
Of course the Clippers will always be an option. After all, he spent some of his best years in LA. However, no one can’t rule out the Spurs. San Antonio has been one of the most successful franchises in the past 25 years, and they have an established winning culture under the tutelage of Gregg Popovich. As if that wasn’t enough, they already are one of the top teams in the Western Conference. They lost against the Golden State Warriors in the Conference Finals earlier this week, but that was without Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker. One would think the Spurs would become a much-better team with Paul running the show.
Reportedly, both parties have mutual interest. But most importantly, both would fill a need on the other. On one hand, Paul would make the Spurs an even more dangerous team. They have a need for a competent playmaker as well. Parker is injury-prone and could miss the remainder of 2017, Patty Mills might leave as a free agent, an Manu Ginobili could retire. Potentially, that’s three less playmakers in a roster depleted of that kind of player. So Paul would improve massively the roster.
But the Spurs also represent the best chance for Paul to win an NBA title. As stated above, San Antonio has a winning culture and a proven track record. Even when they were depleted, they were four games away from a new NBA Finals berth. So Paul would jump into a successful system, one that would give him a chance to compete right away. No other team can give him that opportunity, not even the Clippers. Plus, who wouldn’t want to play for Gregg Popovich?
The bottom line is quite simple. If Paul wants to take advantage of free agency, he needs to choose wisely. And the Spurs give him the best chance to win right away while he’s still in his prime. If he likes challenges, he should join San Antonio right away. The rest of the NBA will appreciate it.