After Chris Paul was ejected from Game Six in the Los Angeles Clippers’ first round series against the Memphis Grizzlies, some wondered if that was going to be the last image of Paul in a Clipper uniform.
Paul has the option of signing a five-year, $107 million extension with the team this summer or he can test out free agency and see where he ends up. If he decides to explore the open market, you can bet he is going to be one of the most highly coveted players this offseason.
The Clippers, meanwhile, are going to do whatever they can to make sure Paul stays in L.A. Gary Sacks, the Clippers’ vice president of basketball operations, met with CP3 on Saturday.
"The No. 1 priority for us right now has to be re-signing our star player, Chris Paul," Sacks said. "That's our goal, that's what we want to do. We want to put ourselves in a position to do that. We feel this organization is in a position to move forward with that goal in mind. It's always difficult, it's never easy, but we feel confident we can be successful."
Sacks is a lot more confident than I would be after another disappointing finish to their season.
For the last couple of years, the Clippers have looked like they have something special, only to fizzle out in the playoffs. Whether that’s the fault of their coach, Vinny Del Negro (my vote), or chemistry between players, there is something that the organization needs to fix before they can be truly great. Chris Paul probably knows that and it is what might keep him from sticking around.
However, Paul might have some ideas for what the franchise needs to be successful, and if the Clippers are going to listen to him, they may give him whatever he wants to get him to sign his extension.
It is a very tough situation to predict. It would be a lot of money for the 28-year-old to turn down and there is no guarantee that anywhere else he goes would be a better chance to win a championship. Chris Paul has a lot to think about this summer.
