After months of waiting to finish the rest of his retirement season, Chris Paul is finally free; the LA Clippers completed a three-team deal that sends the veteran point guard to the Toronto Raptors, Ochai Agbaji, a future second-rounder, and cash considerations to the Brooklyn Nets, and Vanja Markinovic to the Intuit Dome.
With Paul’s second era officially over, it is safe to say his tenure had a rude wake-up call: the Clippers must avoid wasting time by staying away from veterans on the verge of retirement.
Thus, according to Shams Charania, the Raptors have not made it mandatory for him to be present. Essentially, his last stop has not been decided, and another move could be on the way.
Chris Paul’s exit needed to happen for the Clippers to succeed
By no means should the LA Clippers sign a veteran, well past their prime, unless they are rebuilding. These types of guys are not suited for championship contenders; they hold them back, to a certain degree, as Paul did. You know who could have used him? The New Orleans Pelicans, the 14th seed in the Western Conference, with Jeremiah Fears to develop.
Moreover, part of the reason the Clippers began thriving was that there was a zero-percent chance Chris Paul would be brought back into the rotation after being escorted. He was in and out of the lineups for 16 games, and this inconsistency posed challenges for Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller, who were crucial pieces in LA's effort to restore life to their play.
Additionally, Paul’s activity was troubling alone, as he averaged 2.9 points, shooting 32.1% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc for 14.3 minutes per game.
However, this lesson does not just apply to Paul. It goes for every player closing in on the day they announce to the world they have retired the laces and are at a point in their careers where they can celebrate their time in the NBA.
Therefore, as long as LA has Kawhi Leonard on the roster, Lawrence Frank should trade for and sign only rising stars or players in the middle of their peak. As he recently did well with Darius Garland and demonstrated a smart trade with John Collins, it is moves like these that have the potential to enhance winning.
Adding Paul was the opposite, and, well, you see the result. He is now with the Toronto Raptors.