Chris Paul Rumors: Latest Buzz on Star PG's Potential Landing Spots

There are a lot of rumors, but no one really knows where Chris Paul is going to end up this summer.

Dallas, Atlanta and Houston have all been associated with the star point guard’s future, although a return back to Los Angeles is not out of the question.

The Clippers can offer Paul a five-year, $108 million deal—$28 million more than any other team.

However, there is a rift between the two sides that may have irrevocably damaged trust and the lines of communication in their relationship.

Following the Clips’ dismissal of head coach Vinny Del Negro, team owner Donald Sterling reportedly “strongly implied” that Paul and Blake Griffin were to blame for the firing.

The coach was let go shortly after the Clippers’ disappointing first-round exit out of the NBA playoffs. During the regular season, Del Negro led the team to 56 wins—the most in franchise history.

 

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets reportedly have their sights set on acquiring not just Dwight Howard this summer, but Paul as well, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

Feigen said the team has “gone through detailed preparations to chase both” during the offseason.

Adding Howard and Paul to a young nucleus of talent surrounded by James Harden seems like a can’t-miss opportunity for Houston. The Rockets were bounced from the 2013 NBA playoffs by Oklahoma City, Harden’s former team.

If they can create enough cap space and convince the two to join forces with Harden, the Rockets will likely be considered top contenders in the West next season.

 

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks—a team with enough cap space to do just about anything this offseason—sent an email from their ticket-sales department titled, “Hot New Player news: Chris Paul and Dwight Howard” to potential ticket buyers.

Whether intentional or not, the mention of signing players prior to the start of free agency July 1 is a “no no” in the NBA. That prompted speculation as to whether or not the Hawks would receive a tampering penalty.

On June 10, the NBA fined the Hawks, along with two other teams, an undisclosed amount for tampering, according to The Associated Press (via theScore).

Dallas Mavericks

Chasing either Paul or Howard will be the Dallas Mavericks’ priority this offseason, according to Eddie Sefko of DallasNews.com.

Star forward Dirk Nowitzki has been very interested to see how this summer’s process will play out. The aging German said the Mavs would love to get one of the two between Paul and Howard and that he would take a pay cut next season as a pitch to the two superstars.

Nowitzki doesn’t want his team to have its hands tied if those two opt to go somewhere else, though. He wants Dallas to have a “Plan B” that includes some of the other top free agents out there after Howard and Paul, according to Sefko.

Of the three teams mentioned, Dallas’ chances of signing either of these two superstars seem slim.