By: Nick LaPorte, 6/18/2019
Chris Paul is apparently looking for a new team to play with, according to Yahoo Sports. Paul signed a max contract in Houston last summer, and the plan at the time was to pair Paul with former MVP James Harden to contend in the West. Paul missed time this year with another nagging injury, and when he came back, he never reached his 2017-2018 level.
According to Vincent Goodwill, the relationship between Paul and Harden is deemed “unsalvageable.” This report comes about a month after Rockets GM Daryl Morey claimed that he was open to trading any and every player on his team. While we knew Harden was likely off-limits, as a superstar in his prime, many wondered whether that meant Paul was on the trading block. At his age, making max money, Paul only works in specific situations. He needs to be on a team that can afford to go into the luxury tax, and he needs to be on a team that is contending for a title. If you’re not in contention, as a franchise, why would you pay Paul upwards of $40 million per season?
This leads me to believe CP3 will be suiting up for his 4th team by the time the NBA tips off in October, and I’ll offer here a few possible landing spots.
Los Angeles Lakers
CP3 already spent time in LA, although that was as a member of the Clippers. Paul and Blake Griffin, the founding members of “Lob City,” had the most successful run in Clippers history, but ultimately failed to make it to the NBA Finals. The Clippers may be out on Paul, but the Lakers will be eyeing him.
Lebron James, the best player in Los Angeles, is close friends with CP3, and his team needs a point guard. Although the Lakers may find it difficult to match salaries in a potential Paul trade, there’s no doubt Lebron will be after his buddy. Especially if the Lakers strike out in free agency. This isn’t to mention the irony in a situation where Paul lands in LA; remember back to 2012, when then-commissioner David Stern rejected a trade that would send Paul to the Lakers, citing “basketball reasons.”
Philadelphia 76ers
I’ll admit this one is less likely, but Philly has a desperate need for a strong defender at the guard position. Philly will have plenty of salary on the books if they re-sign Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, and in that case you may be able to sign-and-trade one of the two to make the salaries work. While the Rockets may not want Harris or Butler, they may be willing to do this just to keep Harden happy. Not to mention that either one of those players complement Harden better than Paul.
The problem with this one is the 76ers don’t seem willing to readjust their team. They were one bounce away from potentially knocking the champion Raptors out of the playoffs, and management seems content with their “Big 4” of Butler, Harris, Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are in desperate need of point guard help, going far enough to look at Ricky Rubio as their prize free agent. My thinking is; why settle for Rubio when you can get a better player in Paul? I’ll admit Paul isn’t a perfect fit here, but he’s damn close. Paul runs the offense better than any point guard in the NBA, and he would complement Victor Oladipo in a way that he was never able to coexist with Harden. Paul’s defensive mindset would also fit in with the Pacers, who ran the best defense in the NBA last year by opponents PPG.
This seems more likely than the 76ers idea, but I believe the most likely landing spot is LA. The Lakers need a point guard. They can pay him. And Paul is Lebron’s best friend. I wouldn’t rule out the Rockets standing pat and keeping CP3. Paul and Harden don’t have to be best friends to contend for a championship. Having said that, we’ve seen this situation before where 2 stars don’t get along. In most cases, think Shaq and Kobe, the team ultimately picks the younger/better player. In this case, it’s Harden. And I think Paul and Harden have played their last game as teammates.
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