The LA Clippers aren’t having an amazing start to the season. They’ve been horrendous on the court after a promising 2024-25 campaign, not to mention the allegations and investigation surrounding potential salary-cap circumvention with Kawhi Leonard looming over them. And now, it looks like they’ve handled the final season of Chris Paul’s Hall of Fame career poorly.
CP3 posted on an Instagram story early Wednesday with the text “Just Found Out I’m Being Sent Home.” Then, news broke that the Clippers are parting ways with Paul, with team president Lawrence Frank saying in a statement that LA “will work with him on the next step of his career.” For Paul, who announced last month that he’d retire after this season, that’s not exactly the storybook ending he was hoping for .
The 40-year-old point guard has been awful in Year 21. He’s played in 16 games, and in just 14.3 minutes per contest, he’s averaging 2.9 points, 3.3 assists, 1.8 rebounds, 0.7 steals and one turnover. He’s also shooting 32.1 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from deep and made one of his two free throws. It’s looked as bad as the numbers suggest, although this Clippers team has been awful throughout most games, and this role of mild contributor might not be something Paul can effectively execute.
The good news for other teams, however, is that Paul is cheap. If you trade for him (the Clippers can’t trade him until Dec. 15), it’ll only require something like a protected second-round pick because his salary ($3.6 million) isn’t high and he’s 40. The Clippers also could end up buying out Paul’s small contract or waiving him entirely. Then he can join any team he chooses, as long as it chooses him too.
Is there a team out there for which Paul can contribute and finish his career on a higher note? Here are five that might be able to use CP3 before he hangs it up for good:
Dallas Mavericks
Head coach Jason Kidd has been so reluctant to play D’Angelo Russell at point guard while Dallas waits for Kyrie Irving to return that Brandon Williams has played 54 more minutes than D-Lo. I’m not sure anybody out of Dallas could spot Williams if he walked into a room, but he has been pretty good for the Mavs. Secondly, the Mavs may have found a solution at point guard with undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard. He’s been awesome lately. Thirdly, the Mavs still need to decide if they’re going to compete or tank this season. Fourthly, they still need some point guard leadership on the roster.
If the team is going to tank, this doesn’t work at all. If the team isn’t going to tank, it still might not work. Paul has looked washed, pressed and folded. However, he could play 20 minutes for this team and have a much better rhythm on the court. Playing so little for the Clippers left him without much time to get warm off the bench, and the Mavericks do need some mentorship to get some of their young guys up to the next level. But Paul can be grating, and not everybody takes to that.
Minnesota Timberwolves
I woke up to a text from my friend Trevor (a massive Wolves fan) wondering if the Wolves should bring in Paul. And Minnesota is the type of team you should think of in this situation. Anthony Edwards as lead guard is good, but it’s going to wear him down at some point. Mike Conley is effective but limited because of his advanced age and NBA odometer. Rob Dillingham has not been good at all, to the point that the Wolves were throwing Bones Hyland on the court at one point. They need another player to initiate some offense, just to save Edwards’ legs.
The Wolves have been so bad at remaining serious in games they think they’ve wrapped up that it might be good to bring in someone with more intense focus. If there is going to be a chance of Dillingham getting it together this season, it might come from having to battle a 40-year-old CP3 for minutes. If he can’t prove he’s the option over what’s left of Paul, then that’s your sign he can’t contribute in the way the Wolves need.
Orlando Magic
The Magic seem to have gotten their stuff together during the last couple of weeks, so this is much less dire than it appeared to be at the beginning of the season. With Anthony Black emerging as a reliable and impactful player off the bench, a lot of these lead guard positions have been solved. Jalen Suggs starts. Black enters the game. A lot of stuff runs through Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane. And they still have Tyus Jones, but he’s been pretty brutal to begin this season. The Magic could still use more organization and more experience on offense.
Anthony Black has helped stabilize Orlando’s backcourt, but the Magic could still use a boost. (Mike Watters / Imagn Images)
Paul may not want to be relegated to this with a younger team, but coach Jamahl Mosley does need help with the offense. Maybe Paul ends up in more of an offensive coordinator role while being on the roster? That would be something to implement in training camp and the preseason, rather than mid-December. But he could be worth the dice roll.
Atlanta Hawks
I originally thought about the Houston Rockets in this slot, but Reed Sheppard and Aaron Holiday have been great to start the season. I’m not sure this version of Paul is going to beat out what they’re doing, and they have veteran leaders on the roster who actually play consistently. I look at the Hawks, though, and there could be an actual fit to get a little bit more seriousness to them. This is mostly for when Trae Young is back on the court, rather than until the franchise point guard is healthy to play and be himself again. We’ve seen the Hawks look great without him since he injured his knee. They’re playing defense, and the offense runs through All-Star-worthy forward Jalen Johnson.
However, this team hasn’t made a deep playoff run since it made the Eastern Conference finals in 2021. The Hawks have run through different iterations of coaches and the roster around Young, searching to regain that magic. Young is incredibly talented, but he should also be a lot better. Maybe some mid-career tutelage from CP3 can help unlock that extra level.
Memphis Grizzlies
This is determined mostly by what you think the Grizzlies, and more specifically Ja Morant, need on and off the court. They have been dealing with injuries, and Morant has missed 10 games already. And Ty Jerome, a big offseason acquisition, has yet to play because of a calf injury. The Grizzlies are battling and trying to keep it together for a run at the Play-In Tournament. They could use some help and maybe even on-court leadership with someone like Paul, if he has anything left in the tank.
The Grizzlies’ roster is so young and has potential. Paul could help unlock some of that potential with guidance on how to do things. But more importantly, this could be helpful for Morant most of all.
I don’t necessarily buy that the off-court stuff is an issue anymore. Yes, it was bad for a few months, and maybe he didn’t seem to fully grasp why. But on the court and in the locker room, things haven’t been smooth sailing. Morant has had issues with the coaching staff, and Paul could help mold him from All-Star back to All-NBA.