How Spurs' Chris Paul Signing Affects Cavaliers

Another potential suitor for Cleveland Cavaliers' Darius Garland is off the board as the San Antonio Spurs sign Chris Paul.

Nov 11, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul (3) shoot the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (3) during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports / Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

NBA free agency officially started on Sunday at 6:00 PM, and it didn’t take long for some big games’ names to be on the move to new teams. 

One of the most prominent players who has already swapped roster Sunday afternoon was Chris Paul, who was cut by the Golden State Warriors and reportedly signed a one-year, $11-million deal to team up with reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama on the San Antonio Spurs.

This roster movement may be between two Western Conference teams, but there’s more to it than just that for the Cleveland Cavaliers and their potential offseason plans. 

The Spurs were reportedly among the teams interested in acquiring Darius Garland if he requested a trade following a Donovan Mitchell long-term extension. Paul and Garland are similar point guards with their playmaking and scoring ability, making it hard to see San Antonio still pursuing a DG trade with CP3 now on their roster.

Cleveland is running out of options if a Garland trade ends up being in the cards for Koby Altman and the front office this summer. 

Nov 5, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul (3) makes a pass over Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (3) in the second quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Josefczyk-USA TODAY Sports / Aaron Josefczyk-USA TODAY Sports

San Antonio has taken itself out of the running with the acquisition of Paul. Then there are the New Orleans Pelicans, another team that reportedly expressed interest in Garland, who traded with the Atlanta Hawks for Dejounte Murray on Friday afternoon, taking them off the list of potential suitors for DG.

The Cavs theoretically could still make a big move in the offseason, but the possibility of any deals involving continues to dwindle as teams who had once expressed interest move in different directions.