Clippers interested in reuniting with future first-ballot Hall of Famer
The Clippers might be on the very of an unlikely reunion.
Even the messiest NBA splits have proved surmountable throughout the league's history. LeBron James had his jersey burned enough to heat a small country when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010, only to return four years later. The Chicago Bulls routinely undervalued Scottie Pippen during his tenure as Michael Jordan's overqualified sidekick, yet he came back to the windy city after five years away in 2003 for a brief nostalgia run. At the right time, with the right price, anything can happen.
It's no secret that Steve Balmer wants to fill the club's new state-of-the-art arena, the Intuit Dome, which opens at the start of next season. This is the catalyst for why the franchise tied down Kawhi Leonard through 2027 and is interested in re-signing Paul George and James Harden. Terance Mann and Norman Powell are excellent depth pieces, but they're not drawing fans into the building as the primary faces on the marquee.
Simply "running it back" doesn't seem like a viable option. Years of postseason failure and missed opportunities eventually wear customer loyalty thin. Most of the roster reconstruction will likely come around the fringes with little cap space if George sticks around. Securing a consistent playmaking point guard should be near the top of Lawrence Franks's summer wishlist. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the team's most talented general could be in line for a comeback tour.
"The Clippers, I'm told, should be added to the list of teams that could emerge as a suitor for potential free agent Chris Paul," Stein said. "Caveats are immediately required in this situation, since Paul might not even make it to free agency if the Warriors decide next month to keep him or trade him to a team that wants to keep him. I nonetheless heard this week that Paul is a veteran guard said to interest the Clippers ... with a further variable to factor in stemming from Russell Westbrook's still-to-be-determined status."
Chris Paul returning back to the Clippers would be fun for the right price
Chris Paul will likely be the first Clipper to get his number retired when he decides to hang it up. The "point god" only spent six seasons in Tinseltown, but the organization finally had an identity under his leadership. Even though he never captured a championship, he helped transform the culture.
Bringing back the 39-year-old Paul wouldn't be much use from a basketball standpoint. He's still a wizard with the ball in his hands, but he's merely a shell of his former self. He can only command a second unit at this point, but there is a serious injury risk.
At the right price, it's hard to turn down a legend desperate for a proper sendoff. Paul doesn't have to play much, but they could be a great locker-room leader and move into an advisor or coaching role post-retirement. It'd be wise to keep someone with his intelligence for the game around.