Chris Paul and the Clippers essentially have a verbal agreement in place for a new contract this summer, sources close to the process tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Although the star point guard is technically eligible for an extension now, he can get a longer-term – and more lucrative – deal by re-signing with the club in July.
A verbal agreement isn’t binding, so things could change between now and July, but Paul has always been viewed as likely to remain in Los Angeles. As Kyler notes, the 31-year-old will be eligible to sign a new five-year contract worth more than $200MM this offseason, so as long as the Clippers are willing to put that offer on the table – and it seems they are – there’s virtually no chance of CP3 changing teams.
Kyler’s latest Basketball Insiders piece also features several other interesting tidbits related to players on expiring contracts, so let’s round up a few of the highlights…
- Other free agent point guards who are strong bets to re-sign with their current teams: Stephen Curry (Warriors), Jrue Holiday (Pelicans), and Kyle Lowry (Raptors). According to Kyler, New Orleans is prepared to offer Holiday the max, or something close to it, while Toronto is willing to make a similar offer to Lowry, as long as he wants to remain with the team.
- Like Paul, teammates Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick are viewed as highly likely to re-sign with the Clippers this summer, per Kyler. The Thunder were mentioned at one point as a potential suitor for Griffin, but OKC has since added a ton of salary to its 2017/18 books, and Kyler suggests that Griffin was never all that interest in returning to Oklahoma, where he played his college ball.
- Sources close to the George Hill situation say the point guard is very happy in Utah. There’s mutual interest in a new deal this offseason between Hill and the Jazz, but it remains to be seen how high the team will be willing to go with its offer, Kyler writes.
- According to Kyler, the Bulls are interested in re-signing free-agent-to-be Taj Gibson, but there’s a belief that he’ll want to explore other options in free agency, which makes Chicago’s decision this week a little trickier — the club won’t want to risk losing him for nothing.
- Although Derrick Rose is viewed as very available, his contract will make it difficult to move him, since the Knicks want to maintain cap flexibility, says Kyler.
- For a few more notes on players with expiring contracts, be sure to check out Kyler’s full piece.
The Clips should especially know “verbal agreements” don’t matter. Deandre Jordan!
hahahahahahaha
Since Knicks are highly unlikely to woo any decent free agents, they need to move Rose to a team that wants to hit the reset button.
Maybe get Lou Williams and Luol Deng from the Lakers? LA needs all the cap relief it can get.
As for Rose, I’m betting on Sacramento paying him over the summer. They might could put a package together now. Afflalo ($12M), Collison ($5M) and Galloway ($5M) are expendable.
First, your trade makes no sense from the Knicks perspective. What good would Deng and Williams do, either this year or going forward? If they can trade Rose at all, they should target draft picks.
Second, Afflalo and Galloway are players that the Knicks let go of. Not sure why they would suddenly want them again.
Interestingly theoretically decent, but super unlikely. Something like Deng, Mozgov, Lou Williams and Nick Young for Rose, Noah, O’Quinn, and Vujacic?
Opens up cap space for the Lakers, allows Noah to come off the bench for Zubac, and fills needs for the knicks, although they obviously lose that cap space they were hoping for. It’s not like the knicks can really make trades or add free agents with that anyway. This gets them out of Noah, and allows Porzingis to play the 5, with Mozgov coming off the bench. They may have a shot at making a push,and if not, they still have their pick. Obviously they’d have a lot of money tied up, but they’d have a better roster.
Bulls love to lose their guys for nothing in free agency
As opposed to trading them at the deadline**
I am going to list my 3 scenarios for Taj Gibson’s future with the Chicago Bulls.
1. Trade Taj NOW. Send him to a contending team receive a young athletic unestablished high potential guard in return with a few years on his contract.
2. Trade him get a top 15/20 draft pick. Bulls then pursue him in the off season.
3. Keep him make a playoff push (unlikely this team makes it past the first round if they even qualify) then pursue him in the off season and hopefully resign him.
For that first scenario, do you have any players in mind that fit that bill (while also being on a contending team)?
Austin Rivers. It give LA a above average PF behind Blake Griffin and Chicago a young talented player to help them down the road. Taj would be a good “rent-a-player” to improve the Clippers defense. While Rivers shows promising potential while signed to a 3 year contract.
*Possibly include Doug Mcdermott*
Doc isn’t gonna trade his son. They gave him 12 mil to be a back up and not even the best back up in the league. Lol. Bulls have a better shot at as much as every bulls fan is gonna hate this. But trading butler and getting that nets pick in a loaded draft. That gives them cap space. A great chance at a potential franchise guard. And gives them the second half to look at Valentine who’s aparently been the Westbrook of the D League and see if he’s just a dleague allstar or someone who,can,make a difference.
The news about Blake, CP3 and Redick will not stop the likes of Bill Simmons, Reggie Miller, Zach Lowe and other NBA media types from claiming repeatedly that the Clippers “must win” a championship this year or else risk losing all their free agents. That tired cliche will haunt us until these NBA scribes are forced to report on the “surprising” news that all three have re-upped.