The Phoenix Suns have notified Chris Paul that he is going to be waived and will be allowed to hit NBA free agency. There will certainly be plenty of suitors for his services, despite the hall-of-fame point guard being 38-years-old. He didn't have that great of a season with the Suns so his release makes sense; there is no doubt he still has game left to give and a contender could easily take a flyer on him with the veteran minimum. However, there is one team in particular that would be a very intriguing signing for Chris Paul. They have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and are inevitably going to land phenom Victor Wembanyama. The one team that truly needs to go get Chris Paul is the San Antonio Spurs.
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Chris Paul certainly underwhelmed with the Suns this year and him being waived has to be tough given he still hasn't won an NBA Finals ring. Potentially signing with the Spurs in NBA free agency might raise some questions from some believing that Chris Paul still wants a ring. The Spurs have the No. 1 overall selection for a reason, and they are not projecting to be NBA Finals contenders next year. However, when the No. 1 pick lands them Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs could be competing for a championship much sooner than anticipated. Some GM's around the NBA believe Wembanyama could be the best player in the world at as early as 22-years-old. Not to mention, he will be coached by Gregg Popovich and within an organization with a championship pedigree. Signing Chris Paul to pair with Victor Wembanyama could propel the rebuild for the Spurs at light year speeds. If the Chris Paul waiving by the Suns goes through and he hits NBA free agency, the Spurs need to go get the Point God for two reasons.
Leadership
Everywhere Chris Paul has gone, he has led his team to wins. Sure, CP3 has never won an NBA Finals, but it is very rare for a team to win an NBA Finals with their top superstar being a point guard, and in today's game, a team will win an NBA Finals if they have a generational forward or big man on the roster. Still, what a point guard can do is turn the trajectory of a team around, which is exactly what Chris Paul does. Take his one year with the Oklahoma City Thunder for example; he had the Thunder one win away from the second round of the postseason after they firmly committed to the rebuild before acquiring him. Paul has done the same wherever he goes, as the leadership he instills in rosters is intangible.
His leadership with the Spurs would be tantalizing given the presence of Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama is undoubtedly going to compete for an NBA Finals in his career with the potential he has. However, if he is able to start his career with a veteran floor general like CP3 on the court, the Spurs could potentially compete for an NBA Finals as soon as possible. The IQ that Paul plays the game with would be ideal for a young, big man unicorn like Wembanyama to play with; imagining their pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop game makes for extremely exciting potential. The rate at which Victor Wembanyama would develop with the presence of Chris Paul's leadership is a big reason that the Spurs should try and sign CP3 in NBA free agency.
Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich could go down as the greatest coach of all-time and if he retires now he would have one heck of a legacy. Popovich has won five NBA titles and certainly doesn't need another to cement his resume. However, he now has the opportunity to coach Victor Wembanyama and that is too good to pass up. The only thing greater than coaching Wembanyama would be winning with Wembanyama; with Popovich nearing the twilight of his career, he of course would like this sooner rather than later. Landing Chris Paul in NBA free agency would increase the Spurs chances of competing for an NBA Finals with Wembanyama at an exponential rate, even in potentially his rookie season.
Wembanyama figures to be one of the best players in the NBA very quickly, so building a championship roster around him would be key. If they do, which would mean bringing in Chris Paul, Gregg Popovich would know exactly what to do in order to build a contender. He has proven time and again he can bring teams to the pinnacle of the sport, and landing a sixth ring before he retires would be the cherry on top of a great career. Simply put, give Gregg Popovich Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul and the Spurs will be competing for an NBA Finals just like old times.
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