Ranking the top candidates to pursue Chris Paul as a buyout target

Chris Paul has been a steady producer for the San Antonio Spurs all season. The Hall-of-Fame point guard has brought leadership and stability to the Spurs' locker room, and has undoubtedly helped youngsters like Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle learn and progress in ways that we as outsiders will never even know about. His presence has been absolutely invaluable for this organization.

With all that said, the latest injury update regarding Wembanyama may change the trajectory of Paul's role with this team. San Antonio's best player is now sidelined for the remainder of the year, and the team's chances of playing in the postseason are now extremely low. It is entirely possible CP3 may want to pursue a contract buyout, after which he would almost certainly look at signing with a contending team.

If he does decide to go that route, these are some of the most likely teams that would want to sign the veteran.

#3 - Boston Celtics

A little fun fact here - Chris Paul is a career Western Conference player. He has played for seven of the NBA's 15 Western Conference teams in his career, never once suiting up for an Eastern Conference team. Somehow, that seems fitting. But if Paul does decide to change that, the Boston Celtics would undoubtedly welcome his services as they seek to go back-to-back this spring. If CP3's goal is to win a championship this season, this may be his best option.

#2 - Denver Nuggets

If Paul wants to keep adding Western Conference teams to his resume like he was Thanos adding stones to the Infinity Gauntlet, the Denver Nuggets would be an excellent option. It is not crystal clear how he and Russell Westbrook would coexist on that roster, but the thought is certainly an interesting one. Putting Nikola Jokic and Chris Paul on the court together would create some of the most cerebral basketball we have ever seen.

#1 - Los Angeles Clippers

Then there is the most obvious option. If Chris Paul really wanted a storybook ending to his illustrious career, he could return to Los Angeles and don the Clippers uniform one last time. Clippers fans would be thrilled to see the man who brought them so many great memories return, and he could also provide a spark to their often-lacking offense as they prepare for the playoffs.