Even after completing 20 years in the NBA, Chris Paul is yet to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy in his career.
The 2025-26 NBA season will be the beginning of a new era for the Dallas Mavericks. An era where they will play a full season without Luka Doncic on the court.
As far as their roster is concerned, the Mavs have a terrific trio of Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson. On top of that, they are expected to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
However, due to a torn ACL injury, Irving is expected to miss a major chunk of the upcoming season. This leads to a huge gap in the starting point guard position. Luckily, the Mavs could sign 20-year veteran Chris Paul to fill the void.
Why Chris Paul would be a great fit with the Dallas Mavericks
In 20 years, Paul has played for seven different NBA franchises. He has donned several caps during his impressive career.
However, CP3 is at his best when he plays the role of a floor general alongside other stars. With the likes of AD, Thompson, and Flagg potentially forming an impressive attacking unit, Paul can be their point guard.
Sure, Paul is already 40 years old, but he showed incredible toughness in the 2024-25 season. He played 82 games for the San Antonio Spurs.
Assuming the Mavs’ core remains healthy, Paul being the floor general will massively improve their odds of winning the 2026 NBA Championship trophy. If all goes well, it will also end CP3’s championship drought.
Chris Paul can also play well with Kyrie Irving
The above scenario uses Paul as the primary ball-handler, but what about when Kyrie returns from his injury? Irving needs the ball in his hands to play at his best.
Now, this is what most believed about a young Irving, but the 2016 NBA champion has improved this flaw in his game. In fact, he has played as a shooting guard throughout his stint with the Mavericks.
Moreover, he already proved he can play alongside a player who needs the ball in his hands when the 9x NBA All-Star made it to the 2024 NBA Finals alongside Doncic.
Despite sharing the court with Luka, Irving still averaged 22.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game during the 2024 playoffs.