Report: Spurs plan to part ways with surprising player

The San Antonio Spurs are reportedly going all-in on their youth movement next season.

The Spurs signed Chris Paul to a one-year contract last offseason to provide a veteran presence at point guard next to Victor Wembanyama. With the French phenom looking well ahead of schedule, the team appears ready to become a playoff contender in the near future.

That future may not have Paul in it. According to NBA reporter Mark Stein, there is “anticipation” that Paul would be “on the move again” this offseason to find a new team.

Stein also noted that the Spurs have conveyed their intention to keep the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to select Rutgers guard Dylan Harper rather than use it to trade for an established star.

San Antonio acquired De’Aaron Fox before the trade deadline, got a Rookie of the Year campaign from Stephon Castle, and won the right to take Harper. That leaves little room for Paul in the Spurs’ backcourt.

Paul’s last three seasons, each with three different teams, painted a picture of his steep decline heading into his age-40 season. While Paul’s assist numbers remained high through that span, his scoring average hit career lows in three straight years.

CP3 averaged 8.8 points and 7.4 assists for the Spurs last season. To his credit, he did stay healthy enough to play all 82 games with nearly 30 minutes of playing time per game.

Paul memorably had a one-and-done year with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019-20, which left a positive impact on a then-budding talent in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Spurs fans can only hope the CP3’s brief stint in San Antonio has a similar effect on Victor Wembanyama and the rest of the team.