Free agent level guard Chris Paul is signing a one-year contract value greater than $11 million with the San Antonio Spurs, sources instructed ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday.

The Spurs and Paul wasted no time in negotiating a deal simply hours after the Golden State Warriors knowledgeable the veteran level guard they have been waiving him the day his $30 million wage for the 2024-25 season was set to ensure.

As a substitute, Paul, 39, will spend his twentieth NBA season in San Antonio, becoming a member of forces with coach Gregg Popovich because the Spurs look to construct a successful group round 20-year-old star heart Victor Wembanyama.

After a loss to the Warriors on March 11, Popovich had nothing however reward for Paul.

“He is one of many all-time finest rivals ever within the league,” Popovich mentioned. “He is an important chief, nice competitor. It is at all times enjoyable to see him.”

Final season with the Warriors, Paul, a 12-time All-Star, accepted a bench function and began solely 18 of the 58 video games he performed, averaging 9.2 factors and 6.8 assists in 26.4 minutes. In his begins, Paul averaged 11.9 factors and seven.3 assists.

Paul is third all time within the NBA in assists with 11,894 and joins a roster that went into the offseason with a necessity at level guard.

The Spurs began final 12 months experimenting with ahead Jeremy Sochan on the spot earlier than pivoting to a extra conventional look with Tre Jones. San Antonio additionally selected Stephon Citadel with the No. 4 decide on this 12 months’s draft. Citadel has mentioned he’d prefer to play level guard within the NBA.

Paul is on monitor to change into the eleventh participant in NBA historical past to play 20 seasons. He returns to Texas, the place he performed two seasons with the Houston Rockets from 2017 to 2019.