NBA Free Agency: Spurs Making 'Hard Push' for Chris Paul, Fred VanVleet
The biggest addition the San Antonio Spurs will make this summer should come in a few days when the team selects Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick.
However, the team has the opportunity to make a big impact in free agency with over $36 million in cap space to spend. This could give them access to some of the league's priciest players looking for new contracts this summer.
Wembanyama won't make too much money on a rookie contract, and with him holding down the center position, San Antonio could use a point guard to pair with him. Luckily for the Spurs, there are a few strong options that fit the bill.
A Western Conference scout not involved with San Antonio told SpursTalk that he thinks "the Spurs will make a hard push for either Chris Paul or Fred VanVleet."
Paul, 38, was rumored to be waived by the Phoenix Suns earlier this month. If he's looking for a new team this summer, he may look for a contender. But if he would rather be paid and have the opportunity to mentor a generational talent in Wembanyama, the Spurs make sense for him.
"You look at the Spurs roster, and you see a bunch of wings and Victor Wembanyama," KENS5 Reporter Tom Petrini said of Paul's basketball fit with the Spurs. "Maybe one of the greatest point guards in the history of the game could help get everything organized and be a boon to Victor in his rookie season.
"It's hard to not see what the potential of that fit is here in San Antonio."
As for VanVleet, the 29-year-old is seeking what will likely be the biggest contract of his career this summer. After opting out of the final year of his deal with the Toronto Raptors, many teams see VanVleet as the right balance between veteran point guard and someone who can contribute for years to come.
This past season, he averaged 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, a career-high 7.2 assists and 1.8 steals while starting all 69 of the games he appeared in.
VanVleet would be a cornerstone for the Spurs, and he would bring his championship pedigree to a team looking to start a foundation of that winning basketball culture once again.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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