Chris Paul, Derrick Rose Reportedly Targets for Spurs in 2017 Free Agency

The San Antonio Spurs are reportedly interested in signing either Chris Paul or Derrick Rose in free agency if they can clear the cap space to do so, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com.

The Spurs may be seeking a bit of a facelift this offseason. According to Shelburne and Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com, the team is also shopping veteran forward LaMarcus Aldridge on the trade market in the pursuit of a top-10 pick in advance of Thursday night's NBA draft.

And Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News reported on Wednesday that the team reportedly is "open to trading guard Danny Green, though no deal is close as of yet." That deal likely would be in an effort to shed salary to attract Paul to San Antonio in free agency.

The salary shedding is already underway, as Pau Gasol declined his $16.2 million option for the 2017-18 season, per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Wojnarowski added that Gasol "intends to work with Spurs on a longer term deal to remain with team."

Like the rest of the NBA, the Spurs find themselves looking up at the Golden State Warriors. San Antonio was swept by Golden State in the Western Conference Finals, albeit without Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard for the majority of the series. 

Pairing Paul with Leonard in San Antonio would certainly make the Spurs a greater threat in the West. Paul, 32, remains one of the league's premier point guards, averaging 18.1 points, 9.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game in 61 contests last season. 

Paul is expected to remain with the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, however, according to Young. But with the Clippers' future uncertain—Blake Griffin is also set to become a free agent—the Spurs would be among the more attractive suitors for Paul if he decided to leave L.A.

Rose, 28, would be a less impactful addition. The veteran guard, who has struggled to stay on the court due to injuries, averaged a solid 18.0 points and 4.4 assists in the 2016-17 season with the New York Knicks, appearing in 64 games. But he lacked the explosiveness that made him one of the NBA's best players earlier in his career, and while he could undergo a revival in San Antonio, he would be a clear downgrade to Paul.