Rockets: How will Chris Paul continue to play as he ages?

One of the stars for the Houston Rockets is entering his mid-30s. How will perform in years to come?

This offseason, the Houston Rockets re-signed future Hall of Famer Chris Paul to a four-year, $160 million deal. This was one of the essential moves of the offseason for the team as they secured him for the future.

With the massive contract, though, came some questions from doubters. How will CP3 play as he is 33 and getting older? Is that too much money for some someone who finds himself injured year after year?

Let’s take a look at how Chris Paul could age as he stays in a Rockets uniform for four more years, possibly the rest of his career.

Thankfully, it’s four years and not five

A very real possibility for the Rockets this offseason was to re-sign Chris Paul to a five-year deal instead of the eventual four-year one. This would likely have been one year too long, as by that point CP3 will be in his late 30s and hindering the future of the franchise.

Matt Bullard talked to us about that a couple of weeks ago in our interview with him:

“Locking Chris up for four years is great for him, he’s gonna have a huge payday, but it’s also good for the Rockets that they didn’t give him five years. Once you get past 35 years old, physically, it does change. Chris is going to be a very effective player late into his 30s but the fact that he got a four-year deal is a lot more friendly to the Rockets.”

He should still be effective

Chris Paul, like Bullard said, will be a very effective player as he ages. He will require more rest and will probably still deal with nagging injuries, but he has the skill and IQ to succeed in his 30s.

CP3 is one of the smartest players that the NBA has ever seen and that will come to his advantage as he continues to get older. He will always have his passing ability and decision-making strengths and should still be effective. Paul may see a dip in his numbers, but the pure skill is something that will be there.

As he nears the end of his contract, we could see CP3 lose a step and become a bit slower. He still will always be a starting-level player, though, and that will help the Rockets stay in contention for years to come.

Overall, this deal is great for the Rockets and Chris Paul will go down as one of the best point guards to play for the team.