After stunning Clippers exit, should Timberwolves look to sign Chris Paul?

In one of the stranger developments of this young NBA season, the Los Angeles Clippers sent franchise legend Chris Paul home late on Tuesday night, abruptly ending his time with the team amid what was supposed to be his farewell season.

Paul's "leadership style clashed with the Clippers," according to ESPN's Shams Charania. "Paul has been vocal in holding management, coaches and players accountable, which the team felt became disruptive. Specifically: (head coach) Ty Lue was not on speaking terms with Paul for several weeks."

The 5-16 Clippers have easily been the biggest disappointment of the first quarter of this season. Now their reunion with the Hall of Fame point guard who brought them to new heights in the 2010s has ended in shocking, ugly fashion.

Chris Paul — Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Maybe that'll be it for Paul and his playing career. But does one of the greatest point guards in NBA history really want to go out like this? His final season with the Clippers clearly didn't go to plan, but there will be teams out there interested in signing Paul, even if he's on his last basketball legs at 40 years old.

Could one of those teams be the Minnesota Timberwolves? On paper, it makes some sense. The Wolves are a contender with a glaring need at the point guard position. Mike Conley, who is two years younger than Paul, is also on his last legs. Rob Dillingham, who was born the same year Paul made his NBA debut, still doesn't appear to be ready for a significant role.

You might think something like "the last thing the Wolves need is another old, undersized PG, they already have one of those," and that's fair. But Conley is only playing 20 minutes a night at the moment. Paul was playing less than that for the Clippers. The best way to keep both of them as fresh as possible at this point might be giving each one 20 minutes in what would perhaps be the oldest point guard tandem in league history.

It's certainly possible that Paul has run out of gas. In 16 games with this year's Clippers, he averaged just 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in a little over 14 minutes per contest. He made 18 of his 56 shot attempts (32 percent). Then again, playing for a train wreck of a team and not being on speaking terms with the head coach means there was a lot going on for Paul. Just last season, at 39 years old, he started all 82 games for the Spurs and averaged 8.8 points, 7.4 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 38 percent from deep in 28 minutes a night.

The Wolves need point guard help. Paul might be looking for a contender to join for one final pursuit of a championship ring. It's worth mentioning that he signed with the Clippers in part because he said he wanted to spend less time away from his family, but if the Wolves could convince him to give it one last hurrah over the next 6-7 months, he could be a perfect fit for what Minnesota needs.

Imagine the storybook ending. The Timberwolves get past Oklahoma City and the East champs and win the first NBA title in franchise history. Paul rides off into the sunset at 41 years old after finally winning his first championship. Conley does the same at 38 years old, as two of the great ringless veterans in the sport go out on top. Are we sure Tim Connelly hasn't had that exact thought on Wednesday morning?

If nothing else, it's something to keep an eye on after Paul's stunning Clippers exit.

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