NBA Rumors: 3 intriguing Chris Paul destinations that could finally win him a ring
By Josh Hill
Chris Paul is a free agent this summer, and there are a handful of landing spots for him to try and chase that elusive ring.
One of the biggest questions of the offseason is a continuation of one we’ve been asking ourselves for years: Will Chris Paul land on a title-contending team?
This question has evolved from will the Clippers add what they need to will Chris Paul join a superteam to now being where can Chris Paul sign to mercifully win that elusive championship ring?
Winning in the west is incredibly difficult, and the Suns are just one of many up-and-comers trying to get a seat at the table of conference elites. The Jazz, Nuggets, and perhaps the Grizzlies are all vying for that seat which won’t make returning to the NBA Finals any easier. Add to that a healthy Lakers team and a sleeping giant in the Warriors waking back up with Klay Thompson’s return and all of a sudden the pressure begins to build as to where Paul can sing to finally win a title.
Paul is an unrestricted free agent this summer, but the list of teams that put in him that position to win is slim. He’s essentially buying a lottery ticket, and while there are numerous options for him in the market, only one team will cash in with the jackpot.
3. New York Knicks
Knicks and Title Contender don’t blend very well, but it’s not the oil-and-water situation we’ve been witnessing for the better part of the last two decades.
New York stormed back into the playoffs last year, a resurgence led by Tom Thibodeau’s redemption tour and the revival of Julius Randle’s career. The Knicks need to do a lot of work to get the roster into championship shape, as a first-round exit to the Atlanta Hawks is something only Knicks fans can justify as progress.
When the Suns signed Paul last summer, he instantly added the veteran leadership the roster needed. Monty Williams came in a close second to Thibs in the Coach of the Year race, and the idea would be that Paul could do in New York what he did in Phoenix.
There’s also the narrative to consider, which is usually the case with basketball.
Paul finally winning a ring would add an exclamation point to his Hall of Fame career, but making that ring double as the first Knicks championship since 1973 would underline, bold, italicize, and highlight in bright neon colors the lore around his first ring.
Phoenix was in much better shape than the Knicks are, and there are other variables to consider that make this a bit of a choppy water choice. But the euphoria that a Knicks-CP3 title collaboration would bring might be worth the gamble.