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Everybody loves a good homecoming, right? No, not those awkward high school dances that had the Gorillaz on repeat and lukewarm hors d'oeuvres. We're talking about somebody returning to a place that they used to call home to a hero's welcome.
The Charlotte Hornets have the opportunity to bring one of North Carolina's favorite sons home this summer: All-NBA point guard Chris Paul.
Paul, 39, just wrapped up his 19th season in the NBA. His list of accolades: 12-time All Star, 11-time All NBA, 9-time All Defense, Rookie of the Year, can go blow-for-blow with any point guard who has ever stepped on the floor in the Association.
The Point God is an unrestricted free agent this summer, coming off of a season where he played all 82 games, and would be an ideal player for the Charlotte Hornets to target in free agency.
Analyzing Chris Paul as a free agent target
Realistically, Chris Paul is a diminishing asset as a basketball player (he averaged 8.8 points per game in 2024-25, the lowest of his career), but he remains one of the league's preeminent leadership figures. Charles Lee raved about the impact Taj Gibson had on his coaching career and his team's locker room, and Paul would offer the same value.
Although the Point God may not be the divine figure he once was, Paul would bring some much needed stability to Charlotte's guard rotation as a reserve options. Once LaMelo Ball went down with a season-ending ankle injury, the Hornets were forced to rotate uninspiring options like Damion Baugh, Jaylen Sims, and KJ Simpson in at point guard. Each of those players has redeeming qualities, especially Simpson, but Paul would serve as an immediate upgrade on all three.
Lastly, Paul's impact on the aforementioned Ball and Simpson would be immesaurable. The chance for those two ascending guards to spend a full season learning from one of the all-time greats could alter the course of their careers. Stephon Castle, current San Antonio Spur and NBA Rookie of the Year Favorite, had this to say about Paul: “He's seen every part of the game...So being able to play alongside him, that definitely helped a lot.”
What would it cost to acquire CP3?
The veteran shot caller made $10.4 million in his one season in San Antonio. Charlotte will have their $14 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception to spend on free agents this summer, and if the veteran is willing to take a hometown discount, the Hornets could add Paul and another nice bench piece like Jake LaRavia or Luke Kennard.
Adding Chris Paul to this Hornets roster makes too much sense, especially if they win the NBA Draft lottery and wind up adding Cooper Flagg to their core. Flagg will immediately value Charlotte to Play-In Tournament contention, and Chris Paul would be key in maximizing the team's talent during a playoff run.
- MORE STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI -
What the Hornets cannot afford to happen this offseason
Overseas check-in: How are former Hornets players performing in Europe?
Three reasons why LaMelo Ball won't be traded this offseason
Tre Mann appears to be healthy, start 'revenge tour'
More must-reads:
- Warriors still positioning themselves for Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster
- Warriors' Stephen Curry believes NBA players are 'underpaid'
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Warriors still positioning themselves for Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster
Things have largely gone cold on the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade front, but that does not mean teams are not thinking of the possibility of that changing. Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard noted that the Warriors are being cautious in negotiations with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, as he could be possible trade bait if Antetokounmpo is traded by the Milwaukee Bucks. The Warriors are adamant about not giving away Kuminga for less than his full trade value, which is why his situation remains unresolved with August looming. Kuminga and the Warriors have yet to agree on a contract, and it remains unclear when the situation will be resolved. He has a $7.9 million qualifying offer on the table, and signing it would allow him to approve any trade he is involved in. If he signs a multiyear extension, he would not be eligible to be traded until January, which could complicate things if Antetokounmpo decides late in the offseason that he wants a move. Presumably, Kuminga would be a key part of any trade the Warriors make involving Antetokounmpo. However, with no market materializing, there seems to be a growing chance he could remain with the team next season. The former No. 7 overall pick averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.8 steals per game last season. He appeared in 47 games, making 10 starts and averaging 24.3 minutes per game. However, he has been unable to consistently lock down a major spot in coach Steve Kerr’s rotation, which reportedly led to some tension between the two last season. Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, still seems unlikely to be traded, but teams are still going to prepare for the possibility.
Packers send subtle message they're not satisfied with competition at key position after latest roster decision
The Green Bay Packers want to let training camp play out to see how their depth at cornerback is before making significant additions to the group. But after three days of practice, general manager Brian Gutekunst decided to sign another depth piece to create extra competition. On Saturday, beyond confirming the previously reported addition of running back Israel Abanikanda, the Packers also signed rookie cornerback Garnett Hollis Jr. He is a 6-0, 199-pound player. Undrafted, Hollis played three seasons at Northwestern before transferring to West Virginia before his final college season in 2024. Throughout his college career, the defensive back had 124 tackles (including five for loss), two interceptions, 12 passes defended, and one forced fumble. He spent some time with the Tennessee Titans after the draft. "I like our depth there," Gutekunst had told Cheesehead TV back in June. "I do think between Kalen King, Kamal Hadden, and Micah Robinson, there's going to be some really good competition for the back end into that roster. I'm excited to give those guys that opportunity to see." Bleacher Report's Cory Giddings projected Hollis as a fifth-round prospect, highlighting his aggressive and physical presence in the run game. "Garnett Hollis Jr. projects as a developmental prospect who will likely find his role as a physical outside cornerback in zone-heavy schemes. His size, length, and aggression make him an asset against bigger-bodied receivers and in run support, but his movement limitations and inconsistent tackling could cap his ceiling as a backup or rotational player. Hollis will need to refine his technique and improve his consistency to carve out a role at the next level." — Cory Giddings Competition on the roster In the first week of camp, the Packers have played with Keisean Nixon and Nate Hobbs outside, and safety Javon Bullard primarily in the slot. Carrington Valentine has also had significant time with the ones. The roster has Bo Melton, recently converted from wide receiver, Kamal Hadden, Kalen King, and Micah Robinson with more chances. The bottom of the depth chart has veteran Gregory Junior, Isaiah Dunn, and undrafted rookie Tyron Herring. Johnathan Baldwin is also officially listed as a cornerback, but he's practiced mostly at safety so far.
Cleveland Guardians Slapped With Bad News Before Trade Deadline
The Cleveland Guardians are quite a mystery heading into the MLB trade deadline, as no one seems to know whether they will buy, sell or possibly even do nothing before July 31. The Guardians are hovering around .500, but they are still smack dab in the middle of the American League Wild Card race. That's in spite of losing 10 straight just before the All-Star break. Even with Cleveland remaining in contention, there are some who believe the Guardians might sell given their conservative nature, but talk show host Bruce Drennan has provided some rather bad news for the team in that regard: the players they might want to move don't have much value. “No top prospects for a big bat, and I don’t necessarily see us selling players, like Carlos Santana or Lane Thomas. What can you get in return?” Drennan said. Drennan has a point. Santana and Thomas are both impending free agents, and neither has been all that good this season. Santana owns a .665 OPS, and Thomas has been on and off the injured list while hitting just .160 on the year. Of course, the Guardians would surely be able to land a hefty return for players like Steven Kwan and Emmanuel Clase, but it does not seem like Cleveland is going to move either of those two stars. Perhaps the Guardians will surprise some people and go all in by adding pieces at the deadline, but that isn't exactly in their nature. We'll see what happens before the end of the months, but it stands to reason that Cleveland might just stand pat, as Drennan anticipates. Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage
'In what world does this make sense?’: Oilers and $63M forward
According to some, throw out the idea that the Edmonton Oilers should pursue Max Pacioretty. A veteran forward who has earned over $63 million over the course of his NHL career has yet to sign an NHL contract and was recently mentioned in a post by David Staples as a possible fit. In a recent post, the Journal noted, “All of the top NHL unrestricted free agents have already signed contracts, but there’s one big name player still available that makes good sense for the Edmonton Oilers to pursue.” Responses have been varied, with a few quite vocal about the Oilers not following Staples’ advice. “In what world does this make sense?????” writes a commenter on a recent post for The Hockey Writers. Another commenter wrote, “Pacioretty is a good journeyman player but he is injury prone now, late in his career. Oilers might be lucky to get 40 games out of him. They should look elsewhere instead of taking a chance on Patches.” Tyler Yaremchuk of Oilers Nation chimed in and said, “He scored five goals in 37 games last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can’t stay healthy, very old, very slow.” Yaremchuk then went on a rant, listing several Oilers forwards who would be better than Pacioretty. What About Pacioretty on a PTO? Is there any reason that a team that is looking to get younger and faster, and move out depth pieces that were older and less productive than expected, would revert back to last summer’s strategy? It seems like an odd choice on the surface. Something would have to happen that would make giving Pacioretty a look risk-free. That means only a PTO. Even at that point, should he agree, it would require him to be willing to sign a two-way contract for the league minimum.
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