Why the San Antonio Spurs courted Chris Paul as a free agent

This week’s edition of “The Joe Gaither Show on SpursCentral” focuses on recent offseason developments as San Antonio looks to build its team around superstar Victor Wembanyama. Matt Guzman is a guest on the show to discuss the signing of Chris Paul, qualifying offers for two young players and a possible trade option with the Utah Jazz.

The show opens with three veterans transferring: Klay Thompson, Paul George and Chris Paul. Guzman explains that Thompson was never a consideration for San Antonio, while George was always likely to go to Philadelphia as a free agent. However, the Spurs have made a big splash by adding Paul to their extremely young roster for the upcoming season.

Was Paul’s signing to support Wembanyama, who is entering his second year in the league, or to mentor rookie Stephon Castle as he learns the tricks and tools needed to become a successful point guard in the NBA?

San Antonio has decided to extend qualifying offers to two of its young players, Sandro Mamukelashvili and David Duke Jr. Guzman explains what management thinks of the young pair and why Dominick Barlowe was allowed to leave.

Finally, we talk about the transfer rumors surrounding Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz. What price will the Jazz demand? Will Markkanen make the Spurs a playoff contender in the challenging NBA West?

The show can be viewed on the SpursCentral YouTube channel. Follow each show on YouTube, Facebook and ÞjórsárdenThe shows can also be heard on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon.