Chris Paul Is Reportedly Joining Victor Wembanyama In San Antonio

Chris Paul became a free agent at the last minute on Sunday, as the Golden State Warriors waived his $30 million non-guaranteed contract with 15 minutes left before the start of free agency. The Warriors had been looking for a trade, with Paul apparently part of their efforts to land Paul George in a trade earlier in the week, but failed to find a suitable deal and opted to just move his money off of the books (reportedly turning down an offer for Zach LaVine).

Paul hit the market as an intriguing veteran point guard option for a number of teams looking to bolster their guard rotation, and while there had been rumblings for awhile that the Spurs would be in the mix, no one was quite sure whether Paul would want to join a team not quite ready to contend. We found out on Sunday evening that playing with Victor Wembanyama is, indeed, enough of a draw to lure a veteran like Paul to the Spurs, as Chris Haynes and Kendra Andrews reported the future Hall of Famer would join the Spurs backcourt next year.

Per Woj, Paul will get $11 million for the year in San Antonio, as it appears there weren’t contenders willing to part with the full mid-level for him so he opts to join the young Spurs.

Paul averaged 9.2 points and 6.8 assists in 58 appearances for the Warriors last year, shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three. He will provide a much-needed veteran presence in the Spurs locker room, and provide Victor Wembanyama with a masterful pick-and-roll partner on the court.