Report: Clippers Could Pair Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul Together

During a recent television segment, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said the LA Clippers potentially see a world where Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul are together. As Wojnarowski noted, this would of course be in the event Paul becomes available either via trade or buyout, but it seems as if the Clippers' pursuit of Paul is not in an attempt to replace Westbrook, but potentially in addition to him.

Woj:

"I think the Clippers see a world potentially where it's Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul together... if, of course, Chris Paul becomes free.

I don’t see a scenario necessarily where the Clippers are going to be the team that trades for Chris Paul right now." pic.twitter.com/vdHoXRkhVP
— Courtside Clips (@Courtside_Clips) June 19, 2023

While Westbrook and the Clippers have both publicly expressed their affinity for one another, LA is limited in what they can offer him. Should Westbrook take a discount to return, it does not sound like that would stop the Clippers from pursuing Paul. On the other side, it also does not seem as if LA's pursuit of Paul will stop them from attempting to re-sign Westbrook.

If this report is accurate, the question now shifts to the potential fit of Paul and Westbrook together. Starting the two point guards alongside one another does not seem to make sense, meaning one would have to come off the bench. Westbrook of course came off the bench for the Los Angeles Lakers last season before observing the Clippers' starting point guard role, and Chris Paul has not come off the bench a single game in his career.

A point guard rotation of Paul and Westbrook would be interesting for a lot of reasons, but it would also be much better than what the Clippers ran for much of last season.

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