NBA Free Agency rumors: Rockets have ‘serious chance’ to lure Chris Paul

Chris Paul can get more money elsewhere in free agency, but the Houston Rockets may be emerging as a serious suitor.

Since he can get a “super max” deal from the Los Angeles Clippers this summer, it was an obvious decision for Chris Paul to opt out of his current contract. The Clippers can offer him a five-year deal worth just over $200 million, while other teams are limited to around $50 million less in total and one fewer year.

The San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets have emerged as possible suitors for Paul, and it seems likely he’ll take meetings with all three teams. At this point in his career getting a ring may mean more than anything, and the Clippers are circling the wagons as a mid-pack playoff team that can’t get over the hump.

The Rockets seem to have their eye on making a big splash this offseason, with multiple players subject to early trade rumors in an apparent effort to clear cap space. Paul is clearly on their radar, and things may get interesting.

Chris B. Haynes of ESPN thinks there’s a “serious chance” the Rockets can lure Paul away from the Clippers. How he would fit in the same backcourt with a ball dominant player like James Harden is the big question. Harden was fourth in the league in usage rate this past season (34.2 percent), while Paul’s high-water mark in that category was 27.1 percent in 2015-16. Mike D’Antoni’s offense pushes the pace and yields a lot of possessions, which should appeal to Paul. But yielding to Harden may be hard to do, at least at first, and both guys would have to make a serious adjustment.

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Most of the time in these situations money talks, and the Clippers hold the biggest card for Paul. He may be motivated by more than that at 32 years old though, and he can’t be blamed for at least seeing what else is out there.