Since leaving the Houston Rockets in July 2019, Chris Paul has become an NBA journeyman. The Rockets traded Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Russell Westbrook, and he has since played for two more teams.
Paul recently played the 2023-24 season with the Golden State Warriors, where he held a bench role for the first time in his career. The Warriors waived Paul Sunday evening at the start of free agency. Following his release, Paul signed a one-year contract to join the San Antonio Spurs.
Paul will team up with Victor Wembanyama, the reigning Rookie of the Year winner. Wembanyama played 71 games and averaged 21.4 points on 46.5 percent shooting from the field and 10.6 rebounds.
The Spurs needed a point guard to pair with Wembanyama. Not only did San Antonio add one of the best floor generals over the previous two decades, but the Spurs also added a veteran leader who can help lay the groundwork for Wembanyama and the rest of their young core careers.
Since entering the league as the No. 4 pick of the 2005 NBA Draft as a member of the then-New Orleans Hornets, Paul has played a vital role in each team’s success throughout his 19-year career.
With the Spurs, Paul would likely replicate his role with the Thunder from the 2019-20 season. Oklahoma was in the early stages of its rebuild, but Paul’s production and leadership kept the franchise afloat.
The Thunder went 44–28 and qualified for the postseason. Their season ended in a seven-game series against the Rockets in the first round of the 2020 playoffs.
The lessons Paul instilled in a young player like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have made the former Kentucky prospect an MVP-caliber player. He will likely do the same for Wembanyama.
