The San Antonio Spurs are one of, if not the, most stable franchises in the NBA.Their model is consistency, enforced by the stoic greatness of Tim Duncan over the last two decades. That mantle has been passed unto Kawhi Leonard, who's handled the responsibility with ease as he solidifies himself as one of the NBA's best players.San Antonio had their playoff run cut short this year, mostly due to being out of firepower against the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. Both Leonard and Tony Parker were out for the series, and Golden State swept the shorthanded Spurs away. The Spurs learned the same lesson the rest of the league did this year: you need to fight fire with fire. The Warriors are simply too stacked with Kevin Durant in place, and there's little reason to think they'll be stepping down from their throne anytime soon. That's why even San Antonio is looking at ways to make the kind of splash they've typically stayed away from. There are a handful of superstar free agents that will be available come July 1, and the Spurs have their eyes on Chris Paul.

The Spurs managed to convince Pau Gasol to opt out of the guaranteed $16.2 million he was due for the 2017-2018 season, which was the first step the franchise needed to create a scenario where they'd have space to sign Paul.

The next move may be in the works, which would be the ultimate sign that the Spurs are serious about landing Paul this summer. The team is considering trading three-and-D specialist Danny Green, reports Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express News.

The Spurs don't have a deal lined up, but in order to create cap space, it appears Green might be the player they look to move to make it. Green is set to make $10 million in the '17-18 season, with a player option for another $10 million the following year. 

San Antonio could effectively clear $26 million worth of salary cap space if they do manage to trade Green, pending on what kind of money they'd be taking back. That's a huge chunk of salary they could leverage in a contract for Paul.

This is the exact opposite kind of thing the Spurs typically do, and for now they're just preparing for several scenarios like many teams around the league. San Antonio appears to be serious about raising the stakes, and Paul would be a huge addition alongside Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Tony Parker.