Spurs newcomers Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes say they are looking forward to playing for coach Pop and connecting with their teammates

SAINT ANTONIO – Veteran point guard Chris Paul and forward Harrison Barnes spoke with the media on Tuesday, becoming the first new players for the San Antonio Spurs.

In late June, ESPN reported that Paul, a 12-time NBA All-Star, had signed a one-year, $11 million contract with the Spurs.

On Tuesday, Paul said he was excited to join coach Gregg Popovich’s team and play alongside newcomers like Victor Wembanyama. Watch his full comments below.

Paul, a former fourth-round pick in the 2005 NBA draft out of Wake Forest, played last year for the Golden State Warriors, appearing in 58 games, including 18 as a starter, and averaging 9.2 points and 6.8 assists.

The 19-year-old veteran has career averages of 17.5 points, 9.4 assists and 4.5 rebounds while playing in over 1,270 games with the Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Hornets. As a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, he has amassed 22,288 points and 11,894 assists and ranks third all-time in both assists and steals, behind Hall of Famers Jason Kidd and John Stockton.

Over the weekend, news came out of Sacramento of adding Barnes as part of a three-team deal involving the Kings and Bulls. San Antonio also received the rights to swap a 2031 first-round pick with the Kings and sent RaiQuan Gray to Chicago.

Barnes, a former NBA champion, will likely bring an experienced defensive approach to a promising Spurs lineup bolstered by Wembanyama and recently drafted Stephon Castle and Harrison Ingram.

On Tuesday, Barnes said one of the things he’s most excited about is connecting with his new teammates. Watch his remarks below.

A 6-foot-8 forward who was the seventh overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft out of North Carolina, Barnes averaged 12.2 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 38 percent from deep last season. Over the past three seasons, he has appeared in 222 consecutive games, all as a starter, the second-longest active streak in the NBA.

Barnes averaged 14 points and 4.9 rebounds in 32 minutes per game during his career while playing for Golden State, Dallas and Sacramento.

Earlier, Spurs also released towering Charles Massey.

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