The Milwaukee Bucks decided to waive and stretch Damian Lillard, and they could replace him with another All-Star in Chris Paul, a 12-time selection. Paul is an unrestricted free agent after spending last season with the San Antonio Spurs.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the Bucks were one of at least three teams showing interest in Paul, whose list of accolades includes 11 All-NBA and nine All-Defensive selections.
Paul averaged 8.8 points, 7.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals last season.
“Chris Paul has levels of interest from the Clippers, Suns, and the Bucks. I’m told he had a conversation with Bucks officials on Wednesday,” Charania reported on “SportsCenter” on July 3. “He is sorting through options, though, right now. Whether it’s on the West Coast, a team like Milwaukee, we’ll see where his future could go.”
Paul started all 82 games last season, making him one of six players in the entire league to do so, and is coming off a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Spurs.
Whether or not the Bucks have a legitimate chance of signing Paul is unclear.
Chris Paul’s Comments Loom Large in Bucks Pursuit
GettyChris Paul #3 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during a game against the Phoenix Suns.
Paul has played for seven teams in his 20-year NBA career, all of which have been in the Western Conference. He lamented that his family had not lived in the same city as him since the 2018-19 season when he was with the Houston Rockets.
That trend could end if Paul gets his way about his next landing spot this offseason.
He spoke to the importance of his family in his decision to even continue playing during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“[That discussion is] with my family more than anything,” Paul told McAfee in June. “I’ve been been around a few teams, but I’ve been away from them for the last six years. So, it’s a little different.
“I want to hoop because I love to hoop. But at the same time, I do want to be dad.”
A first-time move East to join the Bucks would only exacerbate the issue for Paul, who turned 40 years old in May.
“Paul … has rebuffed interest from Dallas and Charlotte thus far in free agency in a nod to the family plan,” The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer wrote on July 3. “Sources say Milwaukee has been searching for another point guard even after coming to terms on a deal to re-sign Kevin Porter Jr.”
Past friction with Bucks head coach Doc Rivers also looms large in a potential pursuit of Paul.
Damian Lillard Not Rushing to Sign With New Team
GettyDamian Lillard #0 of the Milwaukee Bucks leaves the court after attending a game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Las Vegas Aces.
Like Paul, Lillard is in no rush to make a decision on his next team. NBA insider Chris Haynes reported there is interest in Lillard, though.
“Sources: Free agent star Damian Lillard is open to signing with a team this offseason under the right terms and conditions as he continues rehabbing,” Haynes reported on X on July 3. “He is receiving ample interest, but is in no rush to make a decision.”
He also posted a cryptic message that suggests he is biding his time.
Lillard tore his Achilles during the Bucks’ first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, and he is expected to miss a significant portion of the 2025-26 regular season.
He is still being paid by the Bucks, offering even more of an incentive to be judicious with his decision. It would be a noteworthy turnaround for the Bucks to move on from Lillard, in part, because he wanted to rehab in Portland near his family, only to potentially land Paul.
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