The Los Angeles Clippers fully expect their centerpiece, point guard Chris Paul, to demand a max deal during the offseason, according to ESPN's Zach Lowe.
The nine-time All-Star has made concessions in the past to allow the front office to draw talent to the team. But, with Paul set to be 32 at the beginning of next season, he will likely look to set himself up for the rest of his career with this deal.
Paul can become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and he's expected to demand the full five-year max, or the maximum amount of years/salary allowed by the soon-to-come Collecting Bargaining Agreement. His preference is to remain with his incumbent franchise.
The 6-foot floor general is still an elite point guard and has a $24.2 million player option for 2017-18, which he is likely to turn down.
CP3's continued dominance
Whatever Paul’s lost in quickness and athleticism, he’s properly made up for with his basketball IQ, his evolution into one of the few mid-range assassins in the league, and his much-improved three-point shooting, perhaps due to the Lasik eye surgery he underwent this past summer.
While Paul is one of the top talents at the point guard position, the Clippers will be hard-pressed to just give him what he asks for, as there's a large amount of money committed to DeAndre Jordan, Austin Rivers, and Jamal Crawford over the next couple of years.
L.A. will find it incredibly difficult to keep its core intact if Paul indeed asks for a max contract, hence why this season has so much in play; a run to the Finals could greatly influence his asking price.
Follow Us
Subscribe