Chris Paul was sent to the Washington Wizards in the Bradley Beal trade but that might not be his final landing spot. Here is where he could play next year.
Twelve-time All-Star and five-time assist champ Chris Paul has been a part of one of the biggest trades so far this offseason. The trade sent Paul, Landry Shament, multiple second-round picks and multiple pick swaps to the Washington Wizards for Bradley Beal.
Although Paul is going into his 19th season at age 38, he still has a lot left in the tank. He still averaged 8.9 assists per game which was good enough for fourth-best in the league. Paul helped the Suns get to the second round of the playoffs and if it weren't for an injury suffered in Game 2, the Suns may have had a chance to win.
It is more likely than not that the Wizards are going to try and buy out Chris Paul's huge contract, allowing Paul to go anywhere he wants to. He is likely going to want to go to a team where he can win a championship so here are the three best options.
Final landing spots for Chris Paul: 3. Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers have been so close to winning a championship for the last four seasons but came up short every time. The biggest reason that the Clippers haven't been able to win has been injury. Kawhi Leonard suffered an ACL tear in the 2021 playoffs, an MCL tear these playoffs, and Paul George has been hurt.
With that being said, the Clippers have also missed a true point guard. They have messed around with Patrick Beverly, Rajon Rondo, Reggie Jackson, and even Russell Westbrook. None of which, at the time they played for the Clippers, was really a true point guard. Kawhi Leonard has had massive success playing with great point guards like Tony Parker and Kyle Lowry.
Chris Paul should be very intrigued by the Clippers because they've been so close to winning it all. Paul is just the point guard that the Clippers need. It is also a perfect fit too because he is very familiar with the Clippers organization. He played there for six seasons so he won't have to adjust that much to living in LA.
Paul has a chance to accomplish a goal that he set out to do over a decade ago and win a championship for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Final landing spots for Chris Paul: 2. Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have been another team that has been on the break of winning a championship for the last few seasons. The loss in the finals in 2022 and lost this year against the eighth-seed Heat were very tough on the Celtics.
One of the biggest flaws that the Celtics had in those two losses was turnovers. Over the course of the 2022 postseason, Jayson Tatum led the postseason in turnovers with over 100. Then in Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, Jaylen Brown had an abysmal eight turnovers. The reason that Brown and Tatum were turnover prone is that the Celtics are a team that lacks a true point guard.
The Celtics' assist leader in the postseason was Jayson Tatum at 5.3 assists per game. Tatum is simply not the answer to Celtics playmaking problems so that's where Chris Paul comes in. He is the perfect fit for this Celtics team. His biggest task for this team will be to create opportunities for other players. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are heavy iso players but, having a true point will allow them to get to their spots sooner and score within the offense much better.
Paul will not have the scoring responsibilities that he once had. Playing alongside Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Malcom Brogdon, he won't need to be a primary scorer and only knock down a few big shots.
Paul also doesn't have to spend as much energy on the defensive end as well playing alongside 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, 2023 All-Defensive 2nd Team member Derrick White and one of the best two-way duos in the league in Tatum and Brown.
Paul would have a great opportunity to win a championship with the Celtics.
Final landing spots for Chris Paul: 1. Los Angeles Lakers
There is no better spot for Chris Paul to go than the Los Angeles Lakers. As said for the Clippers Paul will have no problem adjusting to the LA area or the pressure that comes with playing in LA as he has already lived and played there for six seasons.
In terms of basketball, this is also a perfect fit for Chris Paul. He will be playing alongside his good friend LeBron James. At this stage in both of their careers, neither of them can carry both of the playmaking and scoring responsibilities that they used to.
Playing together, both of them can feed off each other taking a break from scoring and playmaking when need be. They can also both excel when they're not playing at the same time as Chris Paul will have another shot at creating lob city in LA with Anthony Davis. Having another combo guard and defender like Austin Reaves is the perfect side piece for him.
The biggest concern for this team will be injuries but, considering that the Lakers went 18-9 in their last 27 games of the season without LeBron for most of it, the Lakers can do their best to manage AD, LeBron, and Paul to make sure they are 100 percent for the postseason. If the Lakers are able to surround them with the right supporting cast, they will have one last shot to win it all.
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