The Warriors waived Paul on Sunday, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.
Paul's $30 million salary for 2024-25 would have been fully guaranteed had the Warriors opted to keep him on the roster until free agency officially began at 6 p.m. ET Sunday, and after no trade partner emerged for the 39-year-old point guard, Golden State opted to cut him loose. Though he career-low 9.2 points on 44.1 percent shooting from the field in 26.4 minutes per contest over his 58 appearances in 2023-24, Paul still demonstrated aptitude as a playmaker (6.8:1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio). Paul could still have plenty of appeal around the league as a stopgap solution at point guard, though at this stage of his career, he's more ideally suited for a sub-30-minute starting role or as a lead guard off the bench.
Paul agreed Sunday with the Spurs on a one-year deal worth at least $11 million, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.
After being waived by Golden State shortly before the start of the free-agent moratorium period that began Sunday at 6 p.m. ET, Paul quickly found a new home with the rebuilding Spurs. In San Antonio, the 39-year-old may not see a major increase in the 26.4 minutes per contest he averaged with the Warriors in 2023-24, though he should benefit from a spike in the career-low 15.4 percent usage rate he handled now that he's part of a far more green Spurs backcourt rather than one that includes established All-Star talents in Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The Spurs could elect to deploy a rough platoon of Paul and Tre Jones at point guard, which would enable rookie first-round Stephon Castle pick to begin his career in the more familiar off-ball role that he filled at UConn.
Warriors' Chris Paul: Contract guarantee date pushed back
Rotowire
Paul and the Warriors intend to move back the guarantee deadline on the point guard's contract to Sunday, the start of free agency, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Friday.
If the Warriors guaranteed Paul's contract for 2024-25, the veteran would earn $30 million next season. Golden State can't afford that price and doesn't want to lose Paul in free agency for nothing, while the point guard likely agreed to this so he'd get a say in where he's potentially traded. Wojnarowski relays that the Warriors are still exploring trades, but what type of market Paul has at this point in his career remains unclear. He averaged a career-low 9.2 points per game in 2023-24.
