NBA Rumors 2017: Chris Paul, Derrick Rose On San Antonio Spurs' Radar In Free Agency

With the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers about to meet in another NBA Finals, the rest of the league is already looking to improve for the 2017-2018 season. Plenty of impact players will be available in free agency, and the latest rumors indicate that some big names could be switching teams.

Much of the speculation has been surrounding the likes of Gordon Hayward, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap, all of whom could be All-Stars next season. Lesser players like Derrick Rose and Otto Porter are also looking for contracts this summer, and the San Antonio Spurs have begun eyeing potential targets this offseason.

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An ESPN report that the Minnesota Timberwolves are interested in acquiring Derrick Rose comes as little surprise. There were rumors close to the trade deadline that the New York Knicks might send Rose to Minnesota, possibly in exchange for Ricky Rubio. Rose played for current Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau when he was with the Chicago Bulls.

ESPN also reported that San Antonio could be interested in signing Rose. Backup point guard Patty Mills is headed towards free agency, and Tony Parker is no longer one of the best players at his position. The four-time champion has already played 16 years in the NBA, and his most recent one was his least productive since he was a rookie. Parker’s postseason was cut short when he suffered a ruptured left quadriceps tendon in the second round.

Rose, however, might just be a backup plan in case the Spurs can’t sign Paul. Paul is expected by many to return to the Los Angeles Clippers, considering they can offer him one more year on a contract, though San Antonio can’t be counted out as a possible landing spot. According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, there are rumblings that both Paul and the Spurs have mutual interest in teaming up.

Golden State has owned the Western Conference for the last three years, and there might not be an end in sight with Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green likely to remain with the team for the foreseeable future. Even if Kawhi Leonard hadn’t gotten hurt in the conference finals, the Spurs are still one player away from being able to compete with the perennial favorites.

When Paul is healthy, he’s still as good as almost any point guard in the NBA. He averaged 18.1 points and 9.2 assists for the 2016-2017 season. L.A. outscored their opponents by an average of 14.2 points per 100 possessions when Paul was on the court. With Paul on the bench, the Clippers were outscored by 5.4 points per 100 possessions.

The Clippers are locks to win more than 50 games with the tandem of Paul and Griffin, but the unit hasn’t been able to get the job done in the playoffs. Paul has never been out of the second round in his career, while San Antonio has been to the conference finals four times since Paul joined Los Angeles for the 2011-2012 season.

Having already made nearly $160 million in his career, would it really be surprising to see Paul forgo one year of guaranteed money to join the Spurs in hopes of finally winning a title?