Chris Paul and Doc Rivers (Photo : Getty Images Sport)
The latest development in the NBA virtually ends the LA Clippers title hopes.
Chris Paul undergoing surgery taking him out for one month which is probably the remainder of their season. Blake Griffin has also been confirmed to miss the rest of the playoffs due to a quad injury.
These developments have prompted analysts to predict changes in the Clippers roster. According to Danny Leroux of Sporting News, Doc Rivers may have to put his GM hat on.
"It's time to think hard about the future. Rivers will look at this roster after a difficult end to a difficult season, and he will be confronted with the issue of whether this team ever will be good enough to win a championship," Leroux wrote. "Change needs to come. Paul and Griffin hit free agency in 2017, when the point guard will be 32 and the power forward will be 28. Keeping both will require long-term, maximum-level investments - if they even want to stay."
In an ESPN radio podcast, analyst Tim Legler also speculated that it could be the last time we see Chris Paul in a Clippers jersey. It was discussed that "this was the Clippers chance" when Curry went down (they would have faced the Warriors-Rockets winner if they beat the Blazers). They were going to give it one more shot and it ended tragically.
Legler agreed with a prediction by Chris Broussard that one of the Clippers big three might go, but he mentioned that DeAndre Jordan might be the one to stay.
Chris Paul will have a sense of urgency to win a championship at his age and he will become a free agent at the end of the 2016-2017 season. The Clippers do not have the salary cap flexibility to make any major changes to help them win now. They did it last offseason by gambling on Lance Stephenson, Paul Pierce and Josh Smith and it did not work out.
There were explorations of trading Chris Paul before the trade deadline and one of the more curious destinations would be the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron James would definitely want to play with his buddy, CP3 and a move to the East away from the juggernauts (Spurs and Warriors, who are both likely to remain dominant for the next two years at least). The Cavs are a contender and an asset in Kyrie Irving.
There are other teams that are strong enough to contend but could need a boost at the point guard position, although Paul's skills as the best pure point guard can make any team better. Even the New York Knicks, with Carmelo Anthony would be a playoff team, but it's a question of whether they have the assets.
