In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, the Los Angeles Clippers announced that they’d be parting ways with point guard Chris Paul. 

In a move that sent shockwaves across the NBA, many contended that Paul deserved better than to be waived during his final season in what was supposed to be a farewell tour for the longtime All-Star floor general. Reportedly, Paul was not happy with the direction of the Clippers’ organization and voiced his concerns with his teammates and the coaching staff. These concerns were not well received, and Paul is now figuring out how his basketball story is going to play out in what was supposed to be the final chapter in a storied career. 

With Paul reportedly heading to free agency after parting ways with the Clippers, it begs the question as to where the 12-time All-Star is going to spend the rest of the 2025-26 season. Those around Paul suggest that the veteran is looking to join another team sooner rather than later, so any teams that are in need of a backup point guard with veteran leadership should take notice.

That is where the Detroit Pistons come into play. Throughout much of the regular season, the Pistons offense has struggled when Cade Cunningham is out of the game to rest up. Now, two-way point guard Daniss Jenkins has performed admirably as of late, but he is showing additional value as a guard who can play off-ball next to Cade when asked to. So, Jenkins may have more value as a combo guard than as a true backup point guard. 

How Would Chris Paul Fit In Motown? 

On top of that, the Pistons have guard Marcus Sasser recovering from a hip impingement right now, and he’s as close as he’s been all year to making his season debut. The expectation for Sasser entering the season is that he’d fill the backup point guard role left open by Dennis Schroder’s departure, but Sasser has obviously not had an opportunity to lock that spot down, and it’s left the Pistons in a bit of a holding pattern in terms of who will run the second unit.

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Now, Paul is well into his career, so he’d have to take a backseat role on a Pistons team that has ambitions to fight for the Eastern Conference title. Paul has legions of high-level experience in the postseason, and he’s determined to add an NBA Championship to his resume before retirement. 

Of course, Paul has lost a step or two over the last couple seasons, but he is one of the most savvy, high-IQ players that has ever dribbled a basketball. Consistently highlighted as a pain to play against, Paul is the type of player that is beloved by the fans of his team and detested by the supporters of his opponent. That is just the type of mentality that would be accepted into the Detroit locker room, and it would be worth kicking the tires to see if Paul would be interested in suiting up in the Pistons’ blue and red. 

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Cunningham would clearly continue to run the show in Detroit, but having Paul on board to run the second unit would stabilize the Pistons’ offense. Paul is crafty, and he’s always looking to gain an edge on the court. That relentless pursuit of competition would blend quite well within Detroit’s locker room, and his on-court skills certainly meet the requirement to run the No. 2 unit in Motown. 

In Los Angeles this season, Paul took a back seat in the Clippers' offense and only averaged a little over 14 minutes per game, so his counting stats have taken a big hit lately. This year, Paul is averaging 2.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds, so those numbers are miles behind his career pace. However, Paul is 40 years old, so it is expected that he'd slow down at this stage in his career. 

It is unclear whether the Pistons will pursue Paul in the coming days, but if he is open to the conversation then the 21-year vet may realize that Detroit is a great fit for him at this stage in his career. If the Pistons do make a move to sign Paul, it would make logical sense for Detroit to unload one or more of the guards already on their roster. The rotation has been a little bloated in recent games, and adding another player into the mix would further exacerbate that issue. So, if Paul does become the next member of the Pistons, look for President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon to potentially make another move not long afterwards. 

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