Chris Paul is one of the greatest point guards in NBA history, and when you have that title, you can do whatever you want with your career. Paul has been a successful NBA player for longer than he hasn't been, so far be it for me to tell a player nicknamed the Point God what to do, but that's exactly what going to happen here today.
Paul is less than one month away from his 40th birthday. He's an 11x All-NBA player, 12x All-Star, 6x steals leader, 5x assists leader, and a 9x All-Defensive player. There is nothing else left for him to prove. I know he loves the game, but that's what Ice Cube's Big3 league is for. If he really wants to continue playing, he should consider that, but I'm not suggesting he be done with the NBA yet.
Paul should follow Kidd's steps and immediately get into coaching
CP3 has a reputation as an intense competitor and not winning a title is likely something that will eat at him, but that ship has sailed. He's at the point where he should be coming off the bench, but I'm not sure winning a title in a reserve role would be satisfying to him. The next best option is to start his career on the sideline as the head coach of an NBA team.
Jason Kidd has laid the foundation for Paul to follow in his footsteps. In 2013, the now-Mavericks coach retired from the league, turned around, and was hired as head coach of the Nets the same year. It was a controversial move at the time as some felt he jumped the line of coaches in waiting. It's a very difficult position to obtain. There are only 30 of them.
But Kidd's reputation as a cerebral point guard with obvious Hall of Fame credentials gave him a unique advantage over the field. Paul has a similar claim. Kidd won a championship with Dallas in 2011 and that may have given him an extra notch on his belt, but Paul's resume is plenty full enough to get him onto the sideline of an organization that needs a strong voice to lead their team.
CP3 has already been somewhat aligned with Kidd throughout this season. Paul passed Kidd for second place on the NBA's all-time assists list in December before passing him again on the all-time steals list in February. It would be fitting to continue that storyline by following in his footsteps by joining the coaching ranks.
There is nothing else #3 needs to accomplish or prove on the court. His reputation is solidified. Chris Paul is going to finish this season having played all 82 games. He played well and he helped this team grow. It's what he was brought in to do and he accomplished that. Go conquer the next chapter now.