The wait for Clippers fans is over.
Chris Paul and the Clippers have come to a verbal agreement on a five-year, $107 million deal, ESPNLA’s Ramona Shelburne reports. The details of the contract are hardly public yet, as the two sides came to an agreement right at the start of NBA free agency.
NBA teams were free to begin speaking with free agents at 12:01 EST on July 1. Immediately, a verbal agreement between Paul and the Clippers was reported. A deal, however, cannot officially be signed until July 10.
Paul averaged 16.9 points, 9.7 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in a career-low 33.4 minutes per game last season. He also averaged 2.4 steals per game, leading the NBA in that statistic for the fifth time in the past six seasons.
The Clippers now have a chance to reach out to the rest of their free agents. Brad Turner of the L.A. Times has reported that the Clippers have already reached out to free agent small forward Matt Barnes. Both sides are in the process of trying to work out a deal, according to Turner.
The Clippers’ other free agents include Lamar Odom, Chauncey Billups, Ronny Turiaf, Ryan Hollins, DaJuan Summers, and Maalik Wayns.