Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook's Top NBA Landing Spots After Lillard, Beal Contracts

The list of veteran guards available on the free-agent market has continued to shrink.

Damian Lillard signed a three-year contract worth $42 million to return to the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Lillard's deal includes a no-trade clause as well as a player option for the 2027-28 season.

The star point guard's reported agreement occurred just one day after the Los Angeles Clippers handed Bradley Beal a two-year, $11 million deal once the Phoenix Suns bought out his contract.

Lillard reportedly had multiple mid-level exception and minimum offers from teams before joining Portland, leaving those organizations to pursue other options.

Two players still available are Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.

While the days of Paul and Westbrook operating as two of the NBA's top point guards may be behind them, they can still serve as key rotation pieces on squads looking to make a playoff push next season.

Here are a few potential destinations for both players.

Chris Paul

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Paul spent the 2024-25 season with the San Antonio Spurs, suiting up in all 82 regular-season games for the second time in his career.

He averaged 8.8 points and 7.4 assists per game on 42.7/37.7/92.4 shooting splits.

NBA insider Marc Stein previously reported that the Spurs weren't expected to re-sign Paul, as they already have a crowded guard rotation that includes De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle.

While the Clippers added Beal, they could still use a veteran presence at backup point guard behind James Harden and may end up landing Paul.

Paul is reportedly targeting a destination closer to his Los Angeles home, and his former team is also looking to contend in the Western Conference.

The 40-year-old played with the Clippers from 2011-17 and also has some familiarity with Harden, as the two were teammates on the Houston Rockets for two years from 2017-19.

Paul could also return to the Suns, earning his most recent All-Star nod as a member of the organization in 2022.

His three years in Phoenix were immensely successful, helping the team reach the NBA Finals during its 2020-21 campaign.

While the Suns ultimately traded Paul to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Beal in June 2023, a reunion appears to be a possibility.

Per Stein, Phoenix has been viewed as a landing spot for Paul since the outset of free agency.

Russell Westbrook

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Westbrook declined his $3.4 million player option to return to the Denver Nuggets in June, but hasn't found a home in free agency so far.

The nine-time All-Star's fit on contending rosters is tricky due to his lack of a consistent perimeter jumper, but he's still coming off a 2024-25 campaign in which he averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.

Westbrook could sign with a Detroit Pistons squad looking to return to the playoffs after finishing with a 44-38 record last season. Dennis Schröder operated as Detroit's backup point guard during its postseason run, but eventually joined the Sacramento Kings on a three-year deal worth $45 million.

The Miami Heat are also a possible landing spot for Westbrook, especially if the Heat don't believe that Kasparas Jakučionis is immediately ready to contribute in their rotation as a rookie.

Westbrook and Davion Mitchell would potentially form a high-energy backcourt duo off the bench for Miami as it attempts to make the playoffs for a seventh straight year, led by Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.