The Pelicans franchise has had some great players pass through, but none have been as great as Chris Paul. The Point God is undeniably the greatest player in franchise history while still being one of the best point guards of all time. Paul announced that this upcoming season will be his last.
Over his 20-year NBA career, Paul has been the engine to many teams' offenses. For the New Orleans Hornets, he was the franchise. Paul was drafted 4th overall by New Orleans in 2005 and spent the first 6 years of his career with the team. In his rookie season, he was thrown into the fire but emerged unscathed, winning the Rookie of the Year award. Despite not making the playoffs in his first year, Paul helped the Hornets increase their win total by 20 from the previous year.
By year three, Paul had built a deadly duo with forward David West. The two carved up opponents nightly in the pick-and-roll. These two led New Orleans to what remains the franchise's best 56 wins. During that same season, CP3 finished second in MVP voting, behind only Kobe Bryant.
Paul departed from New Orleans after his 6th season, but left as the franchise leader in assists and steals—two records he still holds, alongside being the franchise leader in win shares.
Paul is still a free agent, and it has been rumored that he could be heading to one of the LA teams to be closer to his family. However, could a farewell tour in the Big Easy be in the cards?
It's highly unlikely, but one can dream
While the idea of Paul retiring with the same team he started his career with is a cool one, it's very unlikely. Even though he'll likely sign for the minimum, the issue with signing CP3 isn't about money; it's about fit and need. Joe Dumars has built a stacked 4-man guard rotation with Dejounte Murray, Jordan Poole, Jose Alvarado, and Jeremiah Fears.
Signing Paul would be a feel-good story, but at the same time, it wouldn't fill a need for the Pelicans, and Paul could struggle to find playing time. If Pelicans fans want to see Paul contribute to winning and maybe win a championship, New Orleans isn't the place for his final season.
Chris Paul will always go down as an All-Time great and will retire as the best player in the Pelicans franchise history. But unfortunately, his final lap will likely not be happening in New Orleans.