As the Nuggets continue their search for a cheap, veteran backup point guard to fill out the rotation, they just saw the perfect candidate, the Point God himself, sign with the rival Clippers. Chris Paul is heading back to Lob City, as it was reported on Monday that CP3 will sign a one-year minimum deal with the Clips and that 2025-26 will be his last season in the NBA.
Twelve-time All-Star Chris Paul has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, CAA's Steven Heumann, Ty Sullivan and Jessica Holtz told ESPN. Paul had multiple suitors, but chose the contending Clippers and their shared history in L.A. for his likely final, 21st NBA season. pic.twitter.com/qC640MFFeI
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 21, 2025
Chris Paul may not be the same player he was when he was vying for MVP awards years ago, but he is still an outstanding game manager, a basketball savant, and one of the best floor generals in the league.
He quietly started all 82 games for the Spurs last season, and the team was markedly better with Paul on the floor. He can absolutely still run an offense and will likely make a big impact in LA, offering a great change of pace for another veteran in James Harden.
Paul would have been perfect for Nuggets
It sounds like CP valued being close to his family on the West Coast and basically chose LA, a good team where he has already played, that’s littered with his friends and other veterans. It was an easy choice for Chris, and he’s going to a team that is already right in the mix to contend for the West.
But it’s a shame because Paul would have been perfect in Denver. He’s almost the antithesis of Russell Westbrook in that he’s slow, under control, extremely reliable, and poised as can be. He is an incredible leader of men and has one of the highest basketball IQs of anyone who has ever played the game.
There’s no doubt that Paul would have run the Nuggets’ second unit to perfection and could easily have made magic playing with Nikola Jokic and even giving Jamal Murray opportunities to play off the ball.
Nuggets' search for ball-handling continues
Instead, Paul goes to the team that Denver just battled with in a hard-fought 7-game series in April. The Nuggets have made excellent upgrades to their rotation this offseason, but they still don’t have a true, NBA-proven point guard behind Jamal Murray. They may be able to get by with a committee, but adding a reliable vet would make this team legitimately 2+ deep at every position.
The options are flying off the board, but maybe Denver can still make a play for a guy like Malcolm Brogdon, or even old friend Monte Morris. There are a handful of other choices, but none overly inspiring. The Nuggets can take their time, but they should make sure this hole is filled before training camp starts.