NBA Rumors: Chris Paul Could Form Clippers’ ‘Big Three’ With Paul George & Kawhi Leonard Next Season

Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul is expected to be one of the most coveted players in the trade market in the 2020 offseason. Paul may no longer be in his prime, but with his impressive performance last season, he will likely receive strong interest from legitimate title contenders that are in dire need of a backcourt boost to have a better chance of winning the NBA championship title next year. One of the potential suitors for CP3 this fall is the Los Angeles Clippers.

According to NBA Analysis Network, Paul could return to the Clippers and form a “Big Three” with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the 2020-21 NBA season. In the proposed scenario, the Clippers would be sending a package that includes several players to the Thunder in exchange for Paul.

“Including all of these pieces is one of the only ways the Clippers would be able to fit Paul’s massive salary alongside that of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Patrick Beverly, Lou Williams, and Rodney McGruder make up the majority of the deal. But the Clippers would also need one of two things to occur: Los Angeles would need to either part with Ivica Zubac in the trade, or if JaMychal Green opts-in to his player option, he could be included in the deal. In this hypothetical, if Green opts-in, he’s traded instead of Zubac.”

Since the season officially came to an end, rumors have been circulating that the Clippers will be searching for a new point guard this fall. They may currently have Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams, but neither of them can be considered as traditional floor generals. The potential acquisition of Paul wouldn’t just immediately address the Clippers’ major backcourt problem, but it would also give them a very reliable third scoring option, floor-spacer, and perimeter defender.

Last season, the 35-year-old point guard averaged 17.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN. Bringing CP3 back to Los Angeles would undeniably be a huge gamble for the Clippers. Aside from his age and injury history, he’s also owed a hefty amount of salary over the next two years.

However, if he remains consistent with his performance and avoids major injury, he would undoubtedly give the Clippers a better chance of fully dominating the loaded Western Conference and bringing home their first Larry O’Brien Trophy.