"Real" possibility exists Chris Paul could leave Clippers to reload one NBA title contender

The Clippers could get left out in the cold.

Days after the San Antonio Spurs were swept out of the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors, a massive nugget dropped on the potential future for Los Angeles Clippers star Chris Paul.

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As a guest on Zach Lowe's podcast, ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz suggested the only team he could see Paul leaving the Clippers for is the Spurs. Lowe continued and called the prospect of it happening "real."

Paul is expected to exercise his Early Termination Option, where he'll become a free agent and could ink a long-term contract.

The 32-year-old Paul would have the option of inking a five-year, $205 million deal in Los Angeles or a four-year, $152 million deal elsewhere.

The nine-time All-Star would certainly be one of the most sought after free agents should he decide to hit the open market. But at his age, he'll have to make a decision on what franchise gives him the best opportunity to win a title and how that affects the money he takes.

At this point, does the prospect of playing for Gregg Popovich and next to LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard instead of next to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan under Doc Rivers really make that much of a difference in the long run?

After watching the first half of the Spurs-Golden State Warriors series before Leonard went down, you'd have to argue he could give the Spurs a real chance.