Chris Paul free agency, Chris Paul
Nov 29, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul (3) drives against the Brooklyn Nets during the second quarter at Barclays Center. USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner

Chris Paul, the Los Angeles Clippers point guard, could return to his former team, the New Orleans Pelicans, upon becoming an unrestricted free agent in July, per radio analysts and beat writers covering the western conference team. After the Pelicans acquired DeMarcus Cousins via trade Sunday, the Pelicans could potentially form a Big 3 of Cousins, Anthony Davis and Paul entering the 2017-18 NBA season.

According to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), Paul is eligible to sign a five-year contract in excess of US$210 million (AU$273 million) with the Los Angeles Clippers upon becoming a free agent. Paul, who turns 32 this May, will have the opportunity to sign his final multi-year max contract, and would be leaving approximately US$30 million (AU$39 million) on the table by deciding to bolt from the Clippers.

With point guard Jrue Holiday approaching free agency, too, the Pelicans would have the required cap room to offer Paul a four-year max contract. While the Los Angeles Clippers are still a formidable team, Paul could be forced to contemplate his future if his team failed to beat the Golden State Warriors and/or San Antonio Spurs during the postseason. There's a school of thought that the Clippers would be inclined to hit the reset button if the trio of Paul, Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick depart in free agency.

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Paul feeding Davis and Cousins in the post could make for fascinating television. Moreover, the all-star trio could unearth the needed chemistry and cohesiveness to compete with the Warriors in the coming seasons. With the Warriors and Spurs dominating the West, the emergence of a new contender would be healthy for the league. Christopher Reina of Real GM is of the opinion that the Kentucky duo of Cousins and Davis could prove to be a handful with the addition of a quality floor general.

"With Davis and Cousins as their two centrepieces, and Jrue Holiday presumably re-signed this offseason, the Pelicans can quickly grow into perennial title contenders. The Pelicans could even create max contract space to sign Chris Paul or Kyle Lowry if they decide to expand their ambition beyond Holiday. New Orleans simply needs to surround that trio with 3&D players to space the floor and get out of the way for Davis and Cousins to dominate."

Last month, Danny Leroux of Sporting News opined that the New Orleans Pelicans "make sense as a team (for Chris Paul to consider in free agency) who could expect to re-sign him in 2017 given his ties to the area." While early signs point to Paul re-signing with the Clippers, the potential of a Davis-Cousins frontcourt could tempt the former Wake Forest standout to return to the state of Louisiana. Chris Paul is currently out of action after suffering torn ligament in his thumb on Jan. 16. He is expected to return in a few weeks.

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