SAN ANTONIO – Despite 22 wins last season, the San Antonio Spurs still garnered attention as No. 1 overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama dazzled nightly in his debut season.
In San Antonio’s first offseason as the key holders to Wembanyama’s future, the front office drafted for need and stayed active in the free agency market.
Veteran point guard Chris Paul, the Spurs’ biggest signing of the offseason, reportedly signed a one-year, $10.46 million contract. The deal includes eight different incentives, totaling $1,568,999.
One of Paul’s bonuses is worth $262,000 and is contingent upon San Antonio (or the team he finishes the season with) winning 32 games or more. A 32-win Spurs regular season in 2024-25 would be a 10-win improvement compared to 2023-24.
Paul, 39, is regarded as one of the best point guards in NBA history. After he retires, an induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is considered a foregone conclusion.
However, one feat that has eluded Paul: winning an NBA championship.
Instead of ring chasing, the 19-year NBA veteran is joining a young Spurs team early in its process of trying to reach the mountaintop.
For Paul, the decision to leave his family and join San Antonio was built on the opportunity to play a meaningful role under the leadership of the NBA’s winningest head coach Gregg Popovich.
Of course, the opportunity to join forces with Wembanyama, who will be a favorite to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2024-25, is also an interesting incentive.
“I had a conversation [with Popovich], and I think what I appreciated the most was Pop said, ‘I want you to come be you,’” Paul said during an introductory press conference earlier this week. “He sounded excited, so that got me excited.”
Paul also explained the sacrifices he’s willing to make to continue playing professional basketball.
“My family is everything. My wife is here. My kids are back in LA, and that’s where they will be during the season,” said Paul. “When we saw this opportunity, even though it put me away from my family, my family knows me better than anybody — and they know that I just want to play. I want to play more than anything. And that’s why I’m grateful for them, and more so, grateful to be here.”