Rockets could wisely reunite with former franchise legend if surging rumors are true

The Houston Rockets could use an injection of ball-handling. The latest rumors suggest they'd consider looking to an old friend for some help. Chris Paul has been linked to the Rockets and the Timberwolves.

If you've been in a coma, that's not as exciting news as it once would have been. Paul has lost many steps. He's announced his retirement following the 2025-26 season, and rightly so. Paul's days as a productive NBA player are done:

So why would the Rockets want him?

Rockets could use veteran presence

This season, Paul was averaging 2.9 points and 3.3 assists per game over 16 contests with the Clippers. His former franchise unceremoniously sent him home. Now, Paul's not playing. The Clippers are looking to move him.

If the Rockets did reunite with Paul, he'd be unlikely to crack the nightly rotation. At this stage, he's not an upgrade over Aaron Holiday. Holiday is averaging 20.1 points and 2.4 assists per 75 possessions with a 64.4 True Shooting % (TS%) and a 1.3 Box Plus Minus (BPM). Paul is averaging 7.6 points and 8.6 assists with a 41.3 TS% and -4.7 BPM. Holiday is better by almost every measure:

Except one.

Take another look at those assist numbers. Paul remains a high-level passer, which is a weakness of Holiday's.

That's one of the reasons to bring Paul on board.

Rockets lack reliable ball-handling

Paul's current issue is his inability to score. At his advanced age, that isn't something that's going to come back.

Here's the rub: The Rockets are fine as constructed. This team is 16-6. They don't need to upgrade Holiday, but bringing in a third-string guard for situations when the Rockets badly need a different skillset could be beneficial.

Paul has that different skillset.

Best of all, he'll come cheap. The Rockets could likely just flip Jeff Green for him. The Clippers know they won't extract value for Paul. Moving him would be about doing right by a franchise legend.

It's worth discussing why the Clippers sent Paul home. It seems that his vocal leadership style was grating on the team. Yet, Paul is a brilliant basketball mind. It's possible that his approach will be a better fit in the Rockets' accountability-focused culture.

If so, he'd be a perfect on-court mentor for Reed Sheppard. That's the main advantage to bringing in Paul. He can be an extension of the coaching staff who periodically gets on the floor.

So, bring him in. The Rockets have little to lose, and more to gain. Paul can still get the ball up the floor and make a smart entry pass:

What more do the Rockets need?