Chris Paul wants to play in his 21st season in the NBA, according to reports, but he remains unsigned a few days into free agency. He has said he wants to play closer to Los Angeles so he can be around his family again.
However, some reports have also indicated that Paul would still like to be a starter. He started 82 games last season for the San Antonio Spurs, just the second time in his career he’s accomplished that feat. However, he’s 40 years old, and there aren’t a lot of teams that need a point guard.
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One of the teams that desperately needed a point guard this offseason was the Dallas Mavericks, as Kyrie Irving will be out until January or February due to a torn ACL from last season. The only other guards on the roster were Jaden Hardy and Brandon Williams, but the team has agreed to deals with D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum in the first week of free agency.
Dallas also showed interest in Chris Paul, but NBA insider Marc Stein has reported that Chris Paul “rebuffed” any interest from the Mavs, as well as his near-hometown Charlotte Hornets. Declining the Hornets makes sense, as they’re locked into LaMelo Ball and now have five or six guards on the roster, but turning down Dallas is a little confusing from Paul’s perspective, besides it not being closer to Los Angeles.
Otherwise, the Mavs had everything else he’s looking for with guaranteed starting time for at least the first half of the season, and a good chance to win. But Paul could have something lined up with one of his former teams, like the LA Clippers or Phoenix Suns.
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