Chris Paul’s last ride with the Clippers is unexpectedly over.
On Tuesday night, Los Angeles announced Paul would be parting ways with the team. It’s a shocking development. The longtime point guard returned to the franchise after spending six excellent years revitalizing the Clippers from 2011 to ’17, with the intention of retiring at season’s end. But Paul’s vocal criticism of the team amid some brutal early-season struggles was viewed by the Clippers as “disruptive,” and they’ve decided it would be best for both parties to separate.
Now Paul is available for pretty much any team interested. But how he changes rosters remains to be seen. Thanks to first apron restrictions, the Clippers can’t really replace Paul if they cut him outright, so a trade seems more likely; he becomes eligible to be traded on Dec. 15. He’s on a veteran minimum contract worth a hair over $3.5 million so it wouldn’t be hard to send him elsewhere financially. And given the Clippers wanted him off the roster so badly they sent him home in the middle of a road trip, it’s safe to assume they wouldn’t be asking for much in return.
However, a clean fit for Paul is tricky. He isn’t going to be acquired to help on the court given his career-low numbers across the board. Paul is averaging 2.9 points per game in 14.3 minutes on the court. The future Hall of Famer is clearly in the final stages of his career and won’t be swinging a title race by becoming available. But teams other than the Clippers could value the veteran mentorship he can provide.
With all that in mind, here are three possible landing spots for Paul once the Clippers decide to officially move on, via trade or outright release at some point in the coming weeks and months.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers do not need Paul in an on-court sense. They enjoy an abundance of quality ballhandlers in the form of Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James; on the bench Marcus Smart is more than capable of manning the point in a pinch. Los Angeles also doesn’t really have any young players who would benefit greatly from the presence of Paul other than perhaps Bronny James.
But the Lakers are still a strong contender for two simple reasons. One, they have an open roster spot. They can’t fill it until Jan. 19 due to apron restrictions and may not want to add a 15th player unless necessary to save the money. But the spot is there. Two, Paul returned to the Clippers in large part because his family lives in Los Angeles. He was very open about how that motivated him to come back when he signed over the summer. If Paul suddenly finds himself unemployed he would most definitely be interested in signing with the other L.A. team for that factor alone. On top of all that, Paul is longtime friends with LeBron as a member of the “Banana Boat” crew along with Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony. If James indicates his desire to have Paul aboard for the rest of the year the front office will likely consider it.
It makes sense on paper for both sides and especially for Paul. If the Lakers are interested, this seems like the most probable destination.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves have a need for backup point guard minutes and thus may be interested in kicking the tires on Paul. Mike Conley is 37 years old and second-year guard Rob Dillingham has not proven ready to take on a big role for a contending team. Minnesota is still 13-8, and the Anthony Edwards-Julius Randle duo spends plenty of time with the ball in their hands so it isn’t an incredibly pressing issue. Nevertheless, reinforcements for that role would not hurt for a team all-in on championship contention this season.
On Paul’s end, this is probably the best team that has a true need for his on-court talents. Most other options out there either aren’t contending or don’t need him to contribute in games. Clearly that isn’t a huge priority for him given he signed with the James Harden-led Clippers over the offseason but circumstances have obviously changed dramatically. His thinking could be different, especially in regards to how far from home he wants to go. Minnesota was likely too far from his family in Los Angeles when he was signing on for a full year. But signing up for basically a half-season? That may be enough to change his mind.
If Paul is chasing a ring and wants to play while doing so, this is the best place for him to end up.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings are not contenders, nor do they reside in Los Angeles. The team even suffers from an overabundance of ballhandlers right now between Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, and Dennis Schroeder. And yet they are a possible landing spot because they reside in California—even if Sacramento isn’t exactly down the road from Los Angeles.
The Kings seem likely to blow up the roster sooner rather than later, and some of the players named above could wind up elsewhere. In that case, Paul’s on-court talents would be welcomed, especially if Sacramento pivots to a full youth movement like the franchise should. None of their young players, such as Keegan Murray or Nique Clifford, are point guards. Even as it stands, the roster doesn’t have a table-setter like Paul to make the life of Domantas Sabonis easier. It’s a minor need right now with the ball-dominant scorers dotting the roster that could become a big need if the Kings undergo a fire sale. And given coach Doug Christie’s absolute disgust at the effort his players have given recently he would surely appreciate a veteran like Paul who isn’t afraid to speak up if his teammates aren’t giving 100%.
They are, however, definitely not contenders. The Kings are 5-16 and seem destined for a high lottery pick. If that doesn’t matter to Paul then this is the next-best thing to playing in Los Angeles. He’s a quick flight from his family and will enjoy several games against both Los Angeles teams.
It’s not really the best of both worlds, but it’s as close as Paul will get outside the city of L.A. if a championship isn’t the priority.
