Chris Paul [608x342]
Chris Paul [608x342] (Credit: Bob Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports)

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A few hours after being waived by the Golden State Warriors, 39-year-old guard Chris Paul agreed to a one-year, $11 million-plus deal with the San Antonio Spurs, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday.

Paul, a 12-time NBA All-Star and 19-year veteran, teams up with one of the league's most intriguing young talents in 20-year-old Victor Wembanyama.

The Spurs, after finishing the regular season 22-60, entered the offseason in search of a point guard to help facilitate the ball to Wembanyama, who led the team in points (21.4), rebounds (10.6), steals (1.2) and blocks (3.6) in his first season in the NBA. Paul, who came off the bench for the first time in his career last season, will look to fill that role as a one of the most prolific assisters in the league -- Paul is third all time in assists with 11,894.

ESPN Insider Kevin Pelton breaks down the contract and hands out a grade on the deal. 

Chris Paul agrees to a one-year, $11 million-plus deal with the San Antonio Spurs

Deal:

Agreed to a reported one-year, $11 million-plus deal with guard Chris Paul

Grade: A

Over the course of his 19-season NBA career, Chris Paul has played a number of different roles, but veteran mentor to a player as talented and as young as Victor Wembanyama will be a new one.

Previously, Paul joined the Phoenix Suns in 2020 as the experienced voice alongside a talented young group that subsequently reached the 2021 NBA Finals, yet that team was much further along in its development process. Before dealing for Paul, Phoenix finished 34-39 in 2019-20, including an 8-0 record in the bubble conclusion of the regular season, and Suns star Devin Booker had already played five seasons and been named an All-Star.

Wembanyama, who's the same age as Paul was as a rookie in 2005-06 with the then-New Orleans Hornets, is an entirely different kind of teammate. San Antonio is entrusting Paul to help guide Wembanyama in continuing to develop as an NBA player off and on the court.

Even at age 39, it's hard to find many better candidates for that role in free agency. As recently as 2022-23, Paul ranked third in most times setting up screeners to shoot out of ball screens behind James Harden and Trae Young, per Second Spectrum tracking.

During Wembanyama's rookie campaign, point guard Tre Jones was his only viable pick-and-roll partner. Wembanyama's ball screens for Jones yielded 1.0 points per chance, according to Second Spectrum, right about the league average for all pick-and-roll combos with at least 100 ball screens. All other Spurs ball handlers produced just 0.88 points per chance with Wembanyama, which ranked in the bottom fifth of all combos.

Overall, Paul's pick-and-rolls with the Golden State Warriors were about average, but he found a strong partner in rookie center Trayce Jackson-Davis, averaging 1.03 points per chance. Considering Wembanyama's finishing ability and versatility, it should be easy for him and Paul to beat that mark next season.

Given Wembanyama's diverse skill set, San Antonio won't want him strictly screening for Paul. When Wembanyama is isolating slower defenders or posting up smaller ones, Paul's shooting ability should be helpful, too. Remember, the Spurs started the season playing non-shooter Jeremy Sochan (31% from 3) at point guard, and Jones is also a below-average 3-point shooter (33.5% on just 3.2 attempts per 36 minutes). Defenses will have to honor Paul, who shot 37% on 4.9 attempts per 36 minutes in 2023-24.

Signing Paul to a one-year deal seems like an ideal way for San Antonio to balance Wembanyama's desire to be competitive with keeping an eye toward maximizing his prime years. Paul will be a massive upgrade at point guard, while the Spurs maintain more than $40 million in potential cap space next summer to pursue a star free agent.

With up to $14 million in cap space remaining should San Antonio waive guard Devonte' Graham, whose salary is $2.85 million guaranteed through July 8, the Spurs could continue adding in free agency or via trade. San Antonio needs to make sure to leave enough playing time for No. 4 overall pick Stephon Castle and recent first-rounders Sochan, Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley to continue their development, but adding one more contributor shouldn't create too much of a crowd.

In the long run, Paul's professionalism could have a bigger impact on the Spurs' young talent. Paul has seen it all over the course of his career and brings the perspective of a former president of the National Basketball Players Association as well as a top-five player in the league in his prime. In Booker and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Paul has already served as a veteran mentor for a pair of All-NBA players. Now, he has a chance to guide a prospect with even more potential than both of those stars.