It’s still far too early to characterize the Los Angeles Clippers as the team to beat in the West, let alone the NBA as a whole. Nevertheless, they’ve made a series of offseason transactions that have given them a good chance to be better than they were even last season. With that in mind, despite Kawhi Leonard playing just 37 games in 2024-25, they went 50-32.
Clippers ‘Seriously Considering’ Signing Chris Paul
Though the Clippers are certainly giving themselves a fighting chance to make it to the 2026 NBA Finals, they don’t appear to be done making moves yet. Long rumored to be a potential landing spot for 12-time All-Star, Chris Paul, Clippers president Lawrence Frank reveals that his team is still “seriously considering” signing the future Hall of Famer (h/t ClutchPoints beat reporter Tomer Azarly).
If Paul is signed, it’ll be a “veteran minimum spot,” according to The Stein Line’s Marc Stein. This is presumably because three-time All-Star Bradley Beal signed a two-year, $11 million contract this week. With that being said, the holdup on Paul’s deal with the Clippers could be primarily financial.
The Clippers’ signing of Bradley Beal left them with one more veteran minimum spot. So they have the roster room and financial ability to reunite with Chris Paul and enable CP3 to play close to his LA base as he has hoped for his 21st NBA season.
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— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 19, 2025
After all, Paul is thought to want to return to L.A. and has a positive history with the franchise. In fact, he’s one of the most important players in Clippers history. On top of that, Paul’s last contract paid him $10.5 million to play just one season with the San Antonio Spurs. Though the 40-year-old is preparing to embark on his final career season, money does still appear to matter to him.
It may even be more important given that it’s the last one he’ll sign.
Where Could He Go?
Paul has been linked to multiple teams throughout the offseason, most of them in the West. Aside from the Clippers, the Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns have previously been named as suitors.
The Hornets don’t need Paul, who preferred playing for a contender anyways, due the offer additions they’ve made to their backcourt. The Mavs recent signing of D’Angelo Russell may have impacted their interest in Paul. However, the Kings are still looking for guard help despite signing Dennis Schroder. The Phoenix Suns are another franchise that could make sense for Paul, for similar reasons as Los Angeles. Yet, the Suns don’t plan to sign Paul, per Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix’s John Gambadoro.
Ultimately, it may only be a matter of time until Paul signs with the Clippers. The fact that the deal has yet to be completed could be much ado about nothing. Still, until the situation is resolved, there’s still a real question of where Paul will spend his final season.
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