Dallas Mavericks named top landing spot for Clippers' Chris Paul

The LA Clippers made the curious decision to send Chris Paul home for the rest of the season, and we're barely even 1/4th of the way through so far. There were reportedly clashes with his leadership style and what the Clippers' coaching staff wanted. They haven't cut or traded him yet, but they said they'll work with him to find his next trade destination.

So, where will Chris Paul finish his career? He'd probably like to win a championship in what has already been announced as the final season of his legendary 21-year career, but he's already said that he wants to finish it close to his family in Los Angeles. However, Zach Harper of The Athletic thinks the Mavericks could make a lot of sense as a landing spot.

"Head coach Jason Kidd has been so reluctant to play D’Angelo Russell at point guard while Dallas waits for Kyrie Irving to return that Brandon Williams has played 54 more minutes than D-Lo. I’m not sure anybody out of Dallas could spot Williams if he walked into a room, but he has been pretty good for the Mavs. Secondly, the Mavs may have found a solution at point guard with undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard. He’s been awesome lately. Thirdly, the Mavs still need to decide if they’re going to compete or tank this season. Fourthly, they still need some point guard leadership on the roster.

"If the team is going to tank, this doesn’t work at all. If the team isn’t going to tank, it still might not work. Paul has looked washed, pressed and folded. However, he could play 20 minutes for this team and have a much better rhythm on the court. Playing so little for the Clippers left him without much time to get warm off the bench, and the Mavericks do need some mentorship to get some of their young guys up to the next level. But Paul can be grating, and not everybody takes to that."

Nov 29, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) looks to shoot during the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Why Chris Paul Probably Won't End Up a Dallas Maverick

Although the Mavericks look to have possibly turned things around, having won 4 of their last 5, it'd be really hard to make the math work. The Mavericks are already a full roster with 15 standard contracts, and are pushed up against the second apron. If Chris Paul were to be cut, the Mavericks already have to clear space to sign Ryan Nembhard to a standard contract; why would they want to have to clear even more roster space for a guard who likely wouldn't play many minutes?

A trade also seems very unlikely because of the tax aprons. It'd have to be a nearly even match salary-wise, and the only people making similar to Chris Paul's are Dante Exum and Brandon Williams. Williams is better than Paul at this stage of his career, and Exum won't play all year, so it's hard to see the Clippers going for that. And it's hard to match the math without adding a third team to add more players to the trade.

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