Chris Paul Dwyane Wade
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 14: Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade attend the NBA All Star Supper Club Party on February 14, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Amber De Vos/Getty Images for NBA All Star Supper Club Party)
The Los Angeles Clippers still have Chris Paul under contract, despite sending him home a couple of months ago. Paul clashing with the coaching staff led to the Clippers feeling they were better off without Paul in the locker room. Management is hoping another team wants to trade for Paul, but they may also just release him since he’s on a smaller contract.
NBA legend Dwyane Wade used his role as an analyst for Prime Sports to reveal that he thinks Paul should join the Houston Rockets:
“They need an organizer. They need a quarterback. They need a conductor. They need a guy who can get guys in their spots. They need a guy who can play with bigs like Sengun and Adams. Chris Paul is out there. They need a veteran. Chris Paul is out there. Just throwing that out there.”
Houston has struggled over the past couple of weeks and still lacks any true point guard on the roster. Young talents Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard have both tried to play the point guard position, but neither are suited for that role. Wade believes that the Rockets need to add a veteran point guard, and Paul stands out for the reasons he stated.
What Does Chris Paul Want Next?
Paul recently appeared on the comedy show Good Sports to get interviewed by hosts Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson. The interview featured Paul bluntly admitting he doesn’t want to end his career on a sour note of getting sent home by the Clippers. Paul hopes to either get traded or released to sign with another team for the second half of the season.
Multiple opposing teams lack a reserve point guard, and many would like to have Paul’s brilliant basketball mind on the roster. However, Paul did struggle in his limited minutes for the Clippers to show the aging process hitting him harder this season.
Other teams would benefit from having Paul on the roster and maybe he can provide bench minutes, but no one should expect him to fix issues. A strong chance remains that Paul ends up being a vocal leader who barely gets on the court unless he shows more than he did earlier this season.
Would Houston Want Chris Paul Back?
The Rockets last contended for an NBA Championship when Paul was the starting point guard. James Harden and Paul helped lead Houston to a couple of great regular season runs before getting eliminated by the Golden State Warriors both times.
Paul had a positive reputation with the Rockets front office, but clashing with Harden caused a change. Houston would likely welcome back Paul if the fit makes sense for both parties since he was considered a professional during his time there.
Fred VanVleet’s injury blocks the Rockets from having any true point guard on the roster. Some hope has emerged for VanVleet returning at the end of the season, but Paul would still make sense as a backup. Houston is not going to give Paul huge minutes in any context, and that might actually help his cause.