• Bookies
  • NBA
  • NBA Picks
  • Chris Paul Next Team Odds: Veteran PG Favored to Head Back West
Most Valuable Offer

Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Loses
Promo Code: BOOKIES

Visit site
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Must be 21+ to participate. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, DC, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY) Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Visit BetMGM.com for T&Cs. US promotional offers not available in NY, NV, or Puerto Rico.

Chris Paul Next Team Odds: Veteran PG Favored to Head Back West

Adam Thompson for Bookies.com

Adam Thompson  | 5 mins

Chris Paul Next Team Odds: Veteran PG Favored to Head Back West

Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Loses
Promo Code: BOOKIES

Visit site
Used 7 Times Today
Popular in Virginia
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Must be 21+ to participate. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, DC, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY) Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Visit BetMGM.com for T&Cs. US promotional offers not available in NY, NV, or Puerto Rico.
Bookies Plus
WHY BOOKIES PLUS?
  • Daily expert picks delivered to your email (Over 60% NFL winning percentage!)
  • Opportunities to compete against pro handicappers + win prizes (Bragging Rights 😁)
  • Follow handicappers who are riding hot 🔥
  • Exclusive betting offers from top sportsbooks
  • It’s FREE and takes 30 seconds to sign up!

Chris Paul is one of the great point guards in NBA history. The Phoenix Suns veteran is a 12-time All-Star, nine-time All-Defense selection, and NBA league leader in steals six times and assists on five occasions. 

He also managed to play just 59 games due to injury and missed the end of the Suns’ disappointing postseason run due to a groin issue. With Devin Booker and Kevin Durant as capable ball-handlers, Paul set a career low in scoring and shot attempts, though he still led the team in assists. 

He's now with the Washington Wizards after the Suns shocked the NBA world by acquiring star Bradley Beal. Paul was the centerpiece of a huge package heading to D.C. 

It's likely the rebuilding Wizards will let Paul go. Paul will be 38 for the 2023-24 season but is still a team leader, and distributor and can still put the ball in the basket when called upon. 

Bookies.com oddsmaker Adam Thompson has used his resources of NBA contacts developed over 20 years covering the league to create his hypothetical NBA futures odds as to which team Paul is playing for next fall. 

Chris Paul 2023-24 Team Odds

TeamOddsImplied Probability
Los Angeles Clippers+20033.3%
Los Angeles Lakers+25028.6%
Washington Wizards+35022.2%
San Antonio Spurs+65013.3%
Houston Rockets+80011.1%
The Field+80011.1%

Odds are projected and do not reflect any odds that may be available at legal betting sites or betting apps.

$1,000 First Bet on Caesars

Visit site
Used 51 Times Today
Must be 21+ to participate. T&Cs apply.

Paul has two years left on a four-year, $120 million contract. This coming season is only partially guaranteed (if traded or released before June 28) and the final year is non-guaranteed. 


RELATED: James Harden Next Team Odds: A Return to Houston?


Paul could be a stabilizing force on a contender or a veteran leader on a team looking to take the next step. The Wizards don't check either of those boxes, so it's likely the team won't have Paul for opening night this fall. 

Los Angeles teams jump to the front of the list. Paul lives there and has strong ties to both the Lakers and Clippers. Joining either side would put him on a contender, and each has a point guard heading into free agency (D'Angelo Russell and Russell Westbrook). Paul played for the Clippers for six seasons, forming a strong 1-2 punch with Blake Griffin. The Wizards' team president used to be the Clippers' GM, so there is a strong connection between the front offices. 

His bond with LeBron James, however, gives the Lakers a fighting chance. The Lakers will do what's in their power to make King James happy as a player option kicks in for 2024-25. 

Paul would prefer to wind down his career in L.A. His age, production and declining reliability to stay on a court could make it a tough sell at $30 million annually. If Paul wants to get that elusive championship ring, he may need to do so at a reduced rate. 

It's possible the Wizards keep Paul as that veteran presence. Washington reportedly hopes to keep Paul, unless Paul wants to be traded to a contender. Which he will. 

If money talks, and it often does, other teams will be able to offer better deals. 

As it stands now, only seven teams are projected to have a positive amount of cap space entering the offseason. None of them are championship contenders. Most of the "contenders" that would want Paul will struggle to pay him more than a mid-level exception or veteran's minimum. 

No team can afford to spend big this off-season like the Houston Rockets, whose $59 million in projected cap space is $14M more than any other team, and over $100 million more than some contenders that may need to dig their way out. The Rockets have been strongly linked to James Harden. Perhaps Paul returns to Houston as well. 

The San Antonio Spurs may be the only other team not currently in contention that could sway Paul and may him more than the mid-level exception. The Spurs rank No. 3 in cap space and will be adding generational talent Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft. 

The Field includes teams that could use a point guard upgrade but must first decide if they’re “going for it” and if it’s all worth the cost. That includes the Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans. It also includes teams that are going for it, but aren't in a financial spot to make a move yet, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies and Boston Celtics

Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Loses
Promo Code: BOOKIES

Visit site
Used 72 Times Today
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Must be 21+ to participate. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, DC, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY) Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Visit BetMGM.com for T&Cs. US promotional offers not available in NY, NV, or Puerto Rico.

About the Author

Adam Thompson for Bookies.com
Adam Thompson
Long established as one of the nation's premier handicappers, Adam Thompson joined Bookies.com in 2019 after a successful run as senior handicapper for SportsLine & CBSSports.com. He specializes in the NFL and MLB, where he's hit on well over 60% of his picks the past five years. Adam's NBA and horse racing picks have also produced consistent, major winners over the years.