Houston Rockets Plan to Pursue Chris Paul in Free Agency
The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly taking the threat of the San Antonio Spurs possibly signing Chris Paul very seriously, but another team from Texas has emerged as a legitimate contender for his signature and they may swoop in and snag the All-Star guard in free agency.
During a recent appearance on "Sportscenter," ESPN's Chris Haynes revealed that the Houston Rockets are aggressively pursuing Paul and he thinks they have a "serious chance" of luring him away. He added that the team is trying to free up cap space in order to sign him this offseason.
National Basketball Association (NBA) insider Marc Stein said the team has placed key veterans Patrick Beverley, Ryan Anderson and Lou Williams on the trading block in a move to do just that.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Meanwhile, ESPN's Brian Windhorst also said that Paul is legitimately interested in joining the Rockets, so the Clippers will really have to do everything possible to convince him to stay if they want to keep their core together. The Clippers can offer him the most money, but Paul wants to join a team that can challenge for the title.
James Harden just had a remarkable most valuable player-worthy season at point guard. However, they will have to move him back to shooting guard if Paul joins the team.
Can Paul really mesh with Harden? They are two ball-dominant players who like to dictate the flow of the offense and decide where the ball ends up. They need the ball in their hands to be effective, so this seems like an odd fit.
"It's impossible to look past the issues with two players as ball dominant as Paul and Harden, no matter how often and how effectively they facilitate. Even if they do figure things out, both players would not be at their best, causing problems for Houston's chemistry, new signature style and Paul's interest to sign in the first place," Tom West wrote in his report for FanRag Sports.
However, if the Rockets have the chance to sign the best pure point guard in the league, they should really consider it.
