Chris Paul's Warriors future remains uncertain, but if he were to leave the Bay Area, his next destination might not take him out of the state of California.
While Paul currently still is under contract, Golden State has until June 28 to fully guarantee the one-year, $30 million remaining on his deal, or waive the veteran point guard.
If Paul were to enter free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers are among the teams expected to be interested in the future Hall of Famer's services, NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Sunday.
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The 19-year NBA veteran spent the 2023-24 season with the Warriors, serving as the anchor of Golden State's second unit, while also sliding into the starting point guard role when Steph Curry missed time.
Paul averaged 9.2 points, 6.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 26.4 minutes per game across 58 appearances during his lone season in the Bay Area.
The 12-time NBA All-Star provided valuable experience when he was on the floor for the Warriors, but Golden State might be focused on using Paul's salary slot to facilitate a trade for a younger player, given the veteran point guard is 39-years-old.
Paul has long been close friends with Lakers superstar LeBron James, although the two have never played on the same NBA team together. However, he was teammates with Clippers star James Harden when the duo joined forces for the Houston Rockets for two seasons from 2017 to 2019, making a potential reunion in Los Angeles intriguing.
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Regardless of who maintains interest in Paul should he become available, ultimately the Warriors remain first in line for his services if they decide to retain the veteran point guard for another season, albeit with a hefty price tag.
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