February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA great Kevin Garnett is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Kevin Garnett wants Chris Paul to sign with the Charlotte Hornets to mentor LaMelo

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated Jun 1, 2025 12:40 PM ET

This summer, veteran point guard Chris Paul will be an unrestricted free agent. Several teams will be interested in the 12-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer, including many who are considered title contenders.

While it may not be the most intriguing situation for a player who has very little time left in the league, perhaps the Charlotte Hornets can find a way to bring the Winston-Salem, NC native close to home.

In a recent episode of KG Certified, former NBA star Kevin Garnett picked the Hornets as the team he wants to see Chris Paul go to this offseason, should he choose to leave San Antonio.

“In a perfect world, I would love to see if LaMelo Ball could be under Chris Paul. LaMelo got so much rawness to him that I think if Chris Paul went under the hood and tightened up a bolt here and put the coupler on over here...LaMelo got such a rawness to him that if you put some greatness to these young guards who are already seeing it, how they’re seeing it, and then they take a piece of Chris Paul, who is going to show them how to cut angles and change up pace.”

Even at age 39, Paul was still a productive player this past season. He started all 82 games for the Spurs, averaging 8.8 points, 7.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 42% from the floor and 37% from three-point range.

The Hornets have struggled to find a reliable option off the bench to run the offense, and although it would only be a one-year situation, it would increase the production from that PG2 spot, but more importantly, give LaMelo the mentor he should have had years ago.