The Los Angeles Clippers have a lot to worry about right now. Both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are free agents and can leave the team if they choose to. The two are a pair of the best players in the NBA but they have not been able to lead the Clippers deep into the playoffs through most of their tenure in Los Angeles. However, without Paul and/or Griffin, the Clippers will fall hard.
One team that could really benefit from this is another Western Conference team - the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are still one of the best teams in the NBA but they are falling further behind the Golden State Warriors especially after the Warriors bought Kevin Durant last year to make themselves almost unbeatable.
Could adding Chris Paul move the Spurs back up to the Warriors level?
Chris Paul
Chris Paul has been loyal to the Los Angeles Clippers for much of his career but there comes a time where Paul has to decide if he will ever win a championship with the Clippers. If anything, the San Antonio Spurs have proven over time to be a team that can win championships, even beating the last super team that formed in the Miami Heat.
According to ESPN, if Chris Paul passes up the extra money that the Los Angeles Clippers can offer him, he really wants to sign with the San Antonio Spurs. This season, the Spurs made it to the Western Conference Finals before the Golden State Warriors knocked them off. The Spurs are one of the best coached teams in the NBA and Paul could push them over the edge.
How would Paul fit in with the Spurs?
The first thing that Chris Paul would need to do is take a discount to join the San Antonio Spurs. Even if the Spurs chose not to resign any of their free agents and Pau Gasol leaves, they don't have the money to pay the maximum to Paul. If he does take the discount to try to win a championship, he would immediately replace Tony Parker, which is a tough one for longtime San Antonio fans.
However, Parker brought the team four NBA Championships and is a legend there. He is also older, more injury prone, and Chris Paul is a step up at this point of their careers. Parker can't even play basketball again until January 2018 due to a ruptured quadriceps. The Spurs could release Parker to save money or trade him to free up money as well.
If Chris Paul wants to join the San Antonio Spurs and get paid, the team may have to release someone like LaMarcus Aldridge to free up space as well as moving Tony Parker. This could make the Spurs slightly better but is no longer a guarantee for Paul to move.
