Chris Paul would be a perfect mentor for Scoot Henderson in Rip City and is expected to be available in free agency this summer. NBA insider Marc Stein recently reported (subscription required) that "Anticipation is building that Paul could be on the move again this offseason even though his time as a Spur as a mentor to Victor Wembanyama and a young team overall was an unabashed success."
The journeyman has effectively transformed every franchise he's been a part of since entering the league in 2005. And while there are more likely landing spots than Portland, including the Dallas Mavericks, Paul is someone they should consider pursuing.
Chris Paul helps the Blazers compete now and build for the future
The Trail Blazers' surprising 36-win season has general manager Joe Cronin mentioning the playoffs as a reasonable expectation for next season. Paul has made the playoffs 15 times in his career and could still help Portland achieve that goal at 40 years old as a floor general.
But more importantly, Portland needs to be playing the long game, as their young core is still years away from contending. This team will only go as far as their recent top-ten picks take them, and Henderson is the one they invested the most draft capital into. Scoot's improved second season was much more encouraging for both his and the Trail Blazers' long-term outlook as he improved in several key aspects, including decision-making, finishing, and shooting.
He also already has a valuable long-term mentor, head coach Chauncey Billups, who just received an extension and knows what it takes to adjust to the league as a point guard and win at the highest level. However, adding Paul would only strengthen Henderson's support system, especially since Henderson still needs to refine the floor leadership and pace control that define Paul's Hall of Fame game.
One caveat with bringing Paul into the equation is that he may want to be promised a starting role to agree to come over, which might have been the case in San Antonio. But that shouldn't be a problem if they decide to trade Anfernee Simons. Henderson may not start, but even a five-minute difference between Simons and Paul could push him over the 30-minute mark (where he already should have been in the first place).
More importantly, it would give Henderson a clear path to a long-term starting role. The issue with Portland's roster isn't necessarily that there are veterans on the team -- there are veterans on every team. It's that the timelines are blurred because they have veterans who are only a few years older than their young core, and as a result, there's no clear path to starting roles in the near future.
Portland could sign Paul to a one or two-year deal, giving Scoot even more time to develop before handing him the keys to the backcourt. The Trail Blazers are in a delicate situation where they want to make the playoffs but can't compromise their future in pursuit of that shortsighted goal. Bringing in Paul as a bridge would be the perfect solution.