The Dallas Mavericks ended up striking a deal to cut ties with the headliner in the infamous Luka Doncic deal. Anthony Davis is in the Nation's capital, preparing to eventually play with the Washington Wizards.
Should the Mavericks consider bringing in another multi-time All-Star through free agency? One who has familiarity with the club's top star, Cooper Flagg? One NBA Insider points to the Mavericks as a spot that makes plenty of sense for the future Hall of Famer, Chris Paul.
"I think the Dallas Mavericks make a lot of sense. He worked out with Cooper Flagg in the offseason, they're represented by the same agency, I think Cooper likes him," ESPN's Ramona Shelburne said this week.
The basketball world doesn't know what's next for Paul. He spent the first half of the season with the Los Angeles Clippers, and most of his time was spent away from the team. Earlier in the season, the Clippers sent Paul home from a trip and made it clear he wouldn't suit up for them again.
For months, the Clippers held out hope for a trade. They found one with the Toronto Raptors, but it was a clear salary dump situation for the veteran. Paul was not being asked to report to Toronto, and the plan is for the Raptors to waive him at some point.
Paul hasn't broken his silence on his future plans just yet. Some rumors have suggested the obvious, stating he would like to land in a contending situation close to home. Others hinted that calling it a career wouldn't be out of the question.
While Flagg would be likely to welcome the presence of Paul, who has been in the league since 2005 and is recognized as one of the top point guards of his generation, the pairing between Paul and the Mavs might not make sense from a timeline standpoint.
Currently, the Mavericks are 19-32, sitting 12th in the Western Conference. They are in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Tanking isn't in the cards, but the Mavs are two spots out of the final Play-In seed after the deadline. Paul would be best suited in a situation that gives him a chance to contribute to a title-hopeful team. He signed with the Clippers for that reason, in addition to the fact that Los Angeles is home.
Packing up for Dallas, Texas, to potentially be done before postseason play doesn't seem like a logical move for the former MVP candidate.
Paul left the Clippers after 16 games. He shot 32 percent from the field, scoring 2.9 points per game. The veteran isn't available on the open market just yet, but joining the Raptors doesn't seem to be in the cards at this time.
Newsweek