Two West rivals want to steal Chris Paul from the Warriors

The Chris Paul experiment in the Bay area might be short-lived. There were always doubts about his fit with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, and he did have some history with Draymond Green.

Nonetheless, he wasn’t the reason why the Warriors didn’t make the playoffs. He did a great job in his role, which is why the Dubs could’ve considered bringing him back at the right price.

However, it seems like they could face some steep competition to do so. According to a report by NBA insider Marc Stein, the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers are strong suitors for his services.

Spurs, Lakers Want Chris Paul

“The Spurs and the Lakers keep coming up as potential suitors for the Warriors’ Chris Paul if Paul becomes a free agent this offseason. Paul’s longstanding friendship with LeBron James and his well-known desire to stay as close to his L.A.-based family as possible certainly add credence to the notion of the Lakers’ signing him,” reported Stein.

Chris Paul in action for the Golden State Warriors

Paul Could Still Help The Warriors

Chris Paul is set to make $30 million next season, assuming the Warriors pick up his option. Keeping him with that salary would make no sense. Nonetheless, if he agrees to delay his guarantee date, that could help the team move him on a sign-and-trade, according to Stein:

“Stein added there’s a possibility Golden State and Paul could mutually agree to delay his guarantee deadline into July. His payout would be very helpful to the Warriors in sign-and-trade scenarios or a straightforward swap with another team,” wrote Joseph Zucker of Bleacher Report.

see also

NBA Rumors: Klay Thompson already targets possible destination outside Golden State

Chris Paul might not be a star anymore, but he’s one of the most intelligent playmakers this game has ever seen, and multiple teams could benefit from a guy like him at the right price.