With the NBA season approaching its end in the next few weeks, all but four remaining teams in the playoffs are preparing for the offseason. The NBA Draft is less than a month away, immediately followed by free agency. Teams around the league are getting their books in order to build out their roster for next season.
While the Houston Rockets are concerned with their own offseason, one former Rockets star will be deciding on his future. Chris Paul, after spending last season with the San Antonio Spurs, is hitting free agency. It turns out the former Rockets point guard may be headed to another Southwest Division rival. NBA Insider Marc Stein of the Stein Line reported that the Dallas Mavericks are targeting CP3 in free agency.
Chris Paul May Find a New Home in 2025 Free Agency
Paul is coming off an impressive age-40 season where he played all 82 games for the Spurs. He was revitalized playing next to Victor Wembanyama, averaging 28 minutes per game and putting up 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. Playing at this level as a 40-year-old undersized point guard is certainly remarkable, but Point God isn't slowing down.
The Mavericks are trying to find a replacement for Kyrie Irving, who will likely miss the entirety of next season. Paul is the perfect placeholder point guard who can play extended minutes in Irving's absence and keep the Mavs' offense afloat.
Paul spent two seasons between 2017 and 2019 with the Rockets, losing to the Warriors in the playoffs both years. The Rockets then made the mistake of trading him to the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire Russell Westbrook, resulting in the eventual implosion of the team.
We will never know where the Rockets would be if they had never traded Paul in the 2019 offseason, but perhaps both sides could have gotten closer to the NBA title that has eluded them. However, it is a new era for both sides, and Rockets fans should feel lucky that they will likely see Houston face Paul four times in the 2025-26 regular season.