Chris Paul had interest in Spurs, scared away by LaMarcus Aldridge

Before his sign-and-trade to the Rockets, Chris Paul was seriously considering joining the Spurs, but ultimately LaMarcus Aldridge scared him off.

Prior to the Los Angeles Clippers trading Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets, there had been persistent rumors about mutual interest existing between the All-Star point guard and the San Antonio Spurs.

However, nothing truly came about, with Paul electing to take his talents to another team in the Lone Star state. According to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, the uncertainty that surrounded LaMarcus Aldridge‘s future in San Antonio also played a major part in Paul deciding to go elsewhere:

One reason is the Rockets had three great recruiters who were in Paul’s ear to come to Houston: Harden, starting small forward Trevor Ariza and reserve point guard Bobby Brown. There are levels to this stuff, as Harden and Paul are members of the NBA elite world and have been friends for a while. Who knows what they have been talking about behind the scenes? Ariza and Brown are also former New Orleans Hornets teammates of Paul’s, and they remain close friends.

Paul was seriously interested in playing for the Spurs, according to a source. But with Aldridge’s status with the Spurs up in the air, it made the situation less attractive. It probably would have been awkward for Paul to take the starting role over longtime Spurs point guard, respected foe and friend Tony Parker.

Aldridge's name was tossed around the trade rumor mill ahead of the 2017 NBA Draft in order to acquire more draft picks, but the Spurs were unable to move him. S.A. had even reached out to his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, but they were unwilling to part ways with multiple first-round picks for LaMarcus.

This, along with possibly unseating longtime starting point guard Tony Parker, would've made the situation awkward for Paul. Although Parker is past his prime and is recovering from a ruptured quad tendon, he is still a well-beloved player on the team. He's also on the last year of his contract with San Antonio, worth $15.4 million.

Paul had the opportunity to play under one of the greatest coaches in NBA history in Gregg Popovich, but the uncertainty surrounding Aldridge and the transition with Parker didn't make it a fit in his eyes.