Bringing Chris Paul back to the Clippers offers a warm and fuzzy feel to the team’s final offseason move, but signing the 12-time All-Star to a one-year deal is more than a nod to nostalgia.
He can still play at 40 years old and wants the chance to win a title in his 21st and likely final NBA season.
“I think one of the things that Chris talked about in terms of coming here is obviously the ability to be at home and be with his wife and kids, but also how committed Steve (Ballmer, owner) is since he has owned the organization (to winning),” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said Tuesday.
Paul, the league’s second-oldest active player behind Lakers star LeBron James, started all 82 games last season with the San Antonio Spurs, averaging 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.8 steals, proving he can still be effective. He became a free agent after the season and quickly expressed his desire to play closer to his family in Los Angeles. Frank said Paul was a natural choice to fill the open point guard spot.
“Chris takes care of the ball and runs an offense about as well as anyone who’s ever done it,” Frank said. “He’ll slot into our roster as a reserve point guard. There’ll be nights when Chris plays a lot, there’ll be nights he does not. Chris is excited to be here, to be part of the group, to help lead the group and to play when called on.”
Paul returns to the team with which he spent six seasons, from 2011-17, and helped turn into a winner, going from 32 victories the season before his arrival to the Western Conference semifinals the next. His Clippers days ended in 2017 when he was traded to the Houston Rockets, but his love for Los Angeles never waned.
“His roots with the organization are deep and meaningful. He obviously played a tremendous role in the upward trajectory of the franchise,” Frank said. “He wanted to return to the Clippers, and we wanted the same as long as it made sense with our current roster. And it does.”
Paul joins a team that already has four talented guards, including starting point guard James Harden. But Frank said he feels the addition of the future Hall of Famer will be a plus, especially if someone gets injured or needs rest.
Frank also said he didn’t expect negative history between Harden and Paul to affect the team chemistry. He added that both players are focused on winning, not past issues. Harden and Paul played together in Houston, but a bitter feud ended one of the league’s most talented duos, resulting in Paul being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019.
In his discussions with Harden, Frank said the 2018 NBA MVP, as well as fellow All-Star Kawhi Leonard, was on board with the move, pointing to Paul’s ability to run the floor and his leadership skills, as well as his work ethic.
“When talking to James, talking to Kawhi … both guys said CP would be the best guy for this role,” Frank said. “I think James is all about winning. … He thought that Chris would be a great fit for the team.”
When searching for another team to close out his career, Paul had expressed a desire to start, much like he did in San Antonio. But Frank said Paul will be a reserve guard, splitting minutes with Harden, Bradley Beal, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kris Dunn.
“We know that ball handling was a little bit of an issue for us last year and we wanted to get (better). Chris was the best guy for the job as long as everyone understood exactly what the role was and we can all embrace it,” Frank said. “So, we’ve been very, very honest and direct and we feel great that Chris is back.”