Reasons the Hornets should (and shouldn't) sign Chris Paul this season

The Chris Paul-Clippers drama has been one of the strangest storylines of the 2025-26 NBA season. What's been sort of under-discussed among the many subplots of the sage is where CP3 could potentially end his career before presumably retiring at the end of the season.

It's unclear where Paul wants to go at this point, but it's worth exploring whether or not the Charlotte Hornets would be a good destination for the future Hall of Famer. From Charlotte's perspective, there are some reasons to pursue a Paul signing, as well as reasons not to.

Why the Hornets should look to sign Chris Paul this season

"When you are in your prime, everyone is going to follow you. But when you are the 10th man of the team... you have to kind of follow suit."

Brian Scalabrine and Tracy McGrady discuss Chris Paul and the Clippers parting ways. pic.twitter.com/avcb9Pup6w
— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) December 9, 2025

This probably isn't the type of argument many people are expecting, because it's not going to lean on the premise that Paul's "veteran leadership" would do wonders in the Hornets' young locker room.

That's sort of an overplayed narrative at this point, and it doesn't hold a lot of weight in this situation because Paul wouldn't even be with LaMelo Ball or Tre Mann for more than a half-season or so, which isn't exactly the platform for a career-changing mentorship.

Sure, every single day that Paul would spend with the Hornets' young players would be meaningful, but his value to this team would actually come from his play.

Yes, the Hornets could actually use a 40-year-old Chris Paul on the basketball court right now. Injuries to Ball, Mann, and Collin Sexton have had Charlotte thin at the point guard spot. They started Sion James at the one the other night.

Already, fans are wondering whether or not the Hornets made a mistake in not keeping veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie on the roster.

Well, signing Paul could undo that mistake and give Charlotte another point guard to run offense for the Hornets when Ball, Mann, and Sexton inevitably miss more time.

Why the Hornets should NOT sign Chris Paul this season

To put it simply, why bring all of that drama into your locker room if you're the Hornets? This isn't to say that Paul is going to be a problem once he arrives in Charlotte, but all of the stench from that Clippers situation is sure to follow CP3 wherever he goes next, if only from a media standpoint.

There's no reason to pollute the youthful optimism of this Hornets environment with a stale narrative like Paul's farewell tour. He deserves a better exit from the NBA than the one the Clippers gave him, but that doesn't mean the Hornets should volunteer themselves. They have the future to honor, not Paul's past.

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