Russell Westbrook, Ben Simmons' Top NBA Landing Spots After Chris Paul Joins Clippers

Another veteran point guard is off the market.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported Monday morning that Chris Paul is signing with the Los Angeles Clippers, returning to the team where he starred during the Lob City era.

So, for teams in the market for playmakers, that leaves unrestricted free agents Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons as two of the top options remaining. Below, we'll break down their best potential landing spots.

Russell Westbrook

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The Detroit Pistons lost Dennis Schröder in free agency this offseason, creating a need for a backup point guard behind Cade Cunningham. If Westbrook is hoping to land with a potential contender, Detroit is probably his best bet.

If he's OK playing more of a mentor role for a rebuilding team, the Brooklyn Nets could certainly use an established option at the point.

And if he doesn't mind splitting the difference, the Phoenix Suns have a plethora of shooting guards or combo guards in Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen, but still lack a pure point guard.

Given that Booker and Green prefer to play with the ball in their hands, however, Westbrook might not be the most natural fit in Phoenix. But perhaps he could make sense in a role of the bench.

Of these options, however, Detroit still appears to make the most sense.

Ben Simmons

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According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, "League sources say that the Suns have also had some recent dialogue with former All-Star Ben Simmons, who I'm told has drawn interest since free agency began from Boston, New York and Sacramento."

Where Simmons best fits among those teams likely comes down to whether you believe he's still a point guard or more of a power forward with playmaking abilities.

If you believe he remains capable of running the point, the Suns make a ton of sense for his services. As mentioned on the Westbrook slide, the Suns are lacking in that department, and Simmons would also provide some much-needed length and defensive upside, even if there are serious questions about how much he can provide a team at this point.

If you see Simmons as more of a point forward, however, the Celtics, Knicks and Kings could each use depth in that regard. Boston's current projected starter at power forward is Georges Niang—Simmons could fight for minutes there.

The Knicks have OG Anunoby and Guerschon Yabusele available at power forward but not much depth on the wing behind Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart. Simmons can defend 1-4 and would offer secondary playmaking for the second unit.

Finally, the Kings probably should be giving minutes to rookie first-rounder Nique Clifford and Summer League star Isaac Jones at the backup forward positions, but if they talk themselves into being a potential playoff team this year, adding another veteran option like Simmons would make sense.

Still, his best pathway to potentially starting and carving out a substantial role is probably in Phoenix.