Former Rockets guard Chris Paul signs with Spurs after being released by Warriors

Since leaving the Houston Rockets in July 2019, Chris Paul has become an NBA wanderer. The Rockets traded Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Russell Westbrook and he has since played for two other teams.

Paul recently played the 2023-24 season with the Golden State Warriors, where he was benched for the first time in his career. The Warriors released Paul on Sunday night at the start of free agency. After his release, Paul signed a one-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs.

Paul will play alongside reigning Rookie of the Year winner Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama played 71 games and averaged 21.4 points on 46.5 percent shooting from the field and 10.6 rebounds.

The Spurs needed a point guard who could support Wembanyama. San Antonio not only got one of the best playmakers of the last two decades, but also a veteran leader who can lay the foundation for Wembanyama and the rest of his career.

Since entering the league as the No. 4 pick in the 2005 NBA Draft as a member of the then-New Orleans Hornets, Paul has played a critical role in the success of every team over the course of his 19-year career.

With the Spurs, Paul would likely reprise his role with the Thunder from the 2019-20 season. Oklahoma was in the early stages of its rebuild, but Paul’s performance and leadership kept the franchise afloat.

The Thunder finished 44-28 and qualified for the postseason, ending their season with a seven-game series against the Rockets in the first round of the 2020 playoffs.

The lessons Paul taught a young player like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have turned the former Kentucky prospect into an MVP-caliber player, and he will likely do the same for Wembanyama.

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