Chris Paul is available for trade, and he’s the type of player the Atlanta Hawks need.
If this season has taught us one thing about Paul, it’s that his days as a positive NBA player are gone. He is still a playmaking savant whose cool play can bring stability to certain lineups, but any team looking to pry him from the Clippers shouldn’t expect real on-court production from the 40-year-old Point God.
Instead, the most valuable skills Paul brings are his leadership, competitiveness, and wisdom. The Hawks are the third-youngest team in the league, and their only recent postseason experience comes from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kennard (and Porzingis and Kennard could be on the trade block!).
Paul is no longer active with the Clippers due to his impact on the locker room. There is a sea of conflicting reports to wade through regarding this break-up that make it difficult to interpret, but most would agree that both sides were at fault to some extent. Paul, known for being a difficult personality, was vocal as always, both in his criticism and leadership. This attitude rubbed the older Clippers locker room the wrong way, and neither party made a serious effort to mend the relationship.
What made Paul leave LA in disgrace makes him perfect for Atlanta
Paul has led a remarkably successful career as one of the only small point guards in history to age gracefully. He reached the heights of his playoff success in his age-35 season, and teams that sign Paul consistently jump up the standings upon his arrival.
But each team that found success with Paul since his glory days in Houston – Oklahoma City, Phoenix, and San Antonio – was a young team looking to take the next step into playoff contention. The two teams where Paul was an awkward fit were Golden State and the Clippers, two teams that don’t need CP3’s abrasive attitude.
The Hawks fall into the first category. Trae Young could use a mentor like Paul, who made a Hall of Fame career in the same mold of player as Young. Paul is also a consummate professional, and Young could benefit from seeing how a player like Paul handles themselves so that Young, too, can age gracefully and transform into the leader Paul is today.
Paul doesn’t move the needle for the Hawks, and he shouldn’t see the floor during competitive minutes. But Paul brings the one thing the Hawks lack the most: experience. The team is full of young talents who are hungry in their quest to carve out a larger NBA role. Giving the young Hawks squad access to Paul as a resource could be what unlocks this team as a real playoff threat.