Sources have revealed to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com that Chris Paul's representatives are telling other teams interested in pursuing CP3 during free agency that they shouldn't bother because he's re-signing with the Clippers.
When the Clippers decided to send a 2015 first-round pick to the Celtics for the rights to Doc Rivers, it was viewed as the clincher that assured Paul will re-sign with the Clippers. While some teams may have held out hope they could convince him otherwise, the latest word from his camp has dashed whatever small hope those teams had, according to Broussard.
Paul, 28, will be eligible to sign a five-year contract worth about $107.34MM with the Clippers when the July moratorium is lifted next month. Rival teams would only have been able to offer Paul a maximum of four years and $79.71MM.
Paul's impending return will likely assure that the Clippers explore deals for Eric Bledsoe, with the Magic and Raptors among the potential suitors. Rivers is known to be a fan of the team's backup point guard, but with Paul locked up long-term and the 23-year-old's trade value potentially at its peak, it makes sense for the club to weigh all its options.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
This story makes no sense. Obviously it’s likely that CP3 is staying put, but the manner in which ESPN is reporting it makes it seem false.
1) If ‘representatives’ were telling several teams Paul isn’t interested,
why would only one single reporter hear about this. Every team
has dozens of beat writers with “sources” and NO ONE has heard about
this except Chris “LeBron will definitely be a Knick” Broussard? Sounds like someone wants credit for what they’re guessing is most likely to happen.
2) He went from having a problem with the organization where ties were
almost severed (according to the same reporter) to not even needing to
entertain a single other team because they simply got a new coach?
3) CP3 (again, according to the same reporter) has spoken with Howard and they want to play together. What happened to that?
4) What ‘representative’ wouldn’t at least have Paul meet with other teams to hear pitches and be wined and dined? Wade did it, Dirk did it, etc.
5) CP3 didn’t want to go to the Clippers and was furious with the trade – and now, after getting knocked out in the first round, Doc Rivers (not Brian Shaw, a friend) is enough for him to not even give anyone a word with him?