The Spurs and Chris Paul quickly reached an agreement just hours after the Golden State Warriors told the veteran point guard they were letting him go on the same day his $30 million salary for the 2024-25 season was about to be guaranteed.
Instead, 39-year-old Chris Paul will play his 20th NBA season with the San Antonio Spurs. He will team up with coach Gregg Popovich as the Spurs aim to build a winning team around their 20-year-old star center, Victor Wembanyama.
After losing to the Warriors on March 11, Popovich praised Paul highly.
"He's one of the best competitors in the league's history," Popovich said. "He's a great leader and competitor. It's always enjoyable to watch him."
Last season with the Warriors, 12-time All-Star Chris Paul took on a bench role, starting only 18 of the 58 games he played. He averaged 9.2 points and 6.8 assists in 26.4 minutes per game. When he did start, Paul averaged 11.9 points and 7.3 assists.
Paul ranks third all-time in NBA assists with 11,894 and is joining a team that needed a point guard going into the offseason.
Last year, the Spurs tried using forward Jeremy Sochan as their point guard before switching to a more traditional option with Tre Jones. They also picked Stephon Castle with the No. 4 pick in this year's draft, and Castle has expressed his desire to play point guard in the NBA.
Paul is set to become the 11th player in NBA history to play for 20 seasons. He is returning to Texas, where he previously played for the Houston Rockets from 2017 to 2019.
SOURCE: ESPN