The Clippers view San Antonio as a serious threat to sign Chris Paul this summer, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. “Mutual interest” between Paul and the Spurs was suggested earlier this week by ESPN’s Zach Lowe, and L.A. officials see that as a concern despite San Antonio’s lack of cap space. Paul is expected to use an early-termination option and hit the free agent market. He is eligible for a five-year deal worth about $205MM from the Clippers and four years at roughly $152MM from anyone else. The Spurs only have about $10MM in cap room right now, with Dewayne Dedmon ($3MM) and David Lee ($1.6MM) both owning player options.
There’s more today from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers are finalizing a deal to add Miles Simon to their coaching staff, tweets Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. He will replace Theo Robertson, who left this week to become an assistant at the University of California. The Most Outstanding Player in the 1997 NCAA Tournament, Simon played just five NBA games, all with Orlando. He spent three years as an assistant coach at Arizona and is currently a college basketball analyst for ESPN.
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar may be the next Lakers legend to get a role with the team, according to Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. Abdul-Jabbar says he has been invited to meet with president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and controlling owner Jeanie Buss to discuss a position in the organization. He added that he would like to serve as a mentor to second-year center Ivica Zubac and help him develop his hook shot. “He’s equipped to use it well,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “He has the length to begin with. If he can develop his shooting touch and agility, he’ll use it well.”
- As the NBA Finals approach, Warriors star Kevin Durant is “at peace” with his decision to leave Oklahoma City, relays Sam Amick of USA Today. He bristles at suggestions that his move is behind the lack of parity in the NBA. “Like I’m the reason why Orlando couldn’t make the playoffs for five, six years in a row?” he said. “Am I the reason that Brooklyn gave all their picks to Boston? Like, am I the reason that they’re not that good. I can’t play for every team, so the truth of the matter is I left one team. It’s one more team that you probably would’ve thought would’ve been a contender. One more team. I couldn’t have made the (entire) East better. I couldn’t have made everybody [else] in the West better.”
Lmao Durants comments are on point. I agree with him here.
It was also his right as a free agent.
George Hill is a better fit for Spurs. CP3 is a HOF player but I think Hill’s knowledge of what Pop demands at both ends of the floor seals the deal. Plus Pop has said NUMEROUS times that Hill is one of his most favorite players to ever coach…no brainer here if I’m RC Buford.
CP3 is a star. He can score pass defend better than George hill. For the spurs to be a legit contender CP3 is their guy. Hill would be a good back up plan tho
Durant has a point, the league isn’t lopsided because of the two best teams, the poorest lot need to take some accountability.
If they get rid of max contracts it would spread stars out because all of a sudden teams can’t afford to pay 3 guys big money. The disparity has a lot to do with Al Horford being payed as much as LBJ.
Not those guys specifically, but it’s a good example because of the difference in production but similar cost. They might be on different tiers of the max but it has to be close.
30% vs 35% max