Chris Paul was once the face of New Orleans Pelicans basketball but that doesn’t mean he’s a fit with the team in 2021
With every NBA offseason that unfolds, the rumor mill begins to churn. It’s as predictable as the change of seasons. We’re seeing it now with the New Orleans Pelicans as whispers are floating about Jrue Holiday’s future with the franchise. Now, we’re also hearing some whispers about former Pelican, Chris Paul.
When I first started hearing this and seeing people mention Chris Paul returning to New Orleans on social media, my only thought was “No”. As much as I love Chris Paul, I just don’t think there’s any reason for us to see Paul playing on the New Orleans Pelicans next season.
Yes, I understand he’s coming off of a phenomenal year with the Oklahoma City Thunder, leading a team projected to be near the bottom of the league into the playoffs, but there’s a lot of recency bias in the assessment of Chris Paul now.
With where the New Orleans Pelicans are heading, adding Chris Paul makes no sense. The Pelicans are on an upwards trajectory for contention with the roster they currently have, why trade away valuable assets that are crucial for improving that roster to get an aging point guard?
I can think of ten reasons why this is such a bad idea for the Pelicans, but I’ll just give you the top three starting now.