In the NBA, it takes a few seconds to crash all the developments. One moment, you’re a star considering the future with your current team. But in the next moment, you announce a homecoming. That’s Chris Paul’s story, who, as a free agent, became a hot cake in the trade market. Teams like the Sacramento Kings and the New York Knicks were reportedly on the lookout for the 40-year-old veteran guard. But well, the Point God has chosen his next destination, and it’s one that’s bound to shake things up. Now, all eyes turn to how CP3 will fit into his new role and whether this final chapter will bring the storybook ending he’s long chased.

ESPN’s Senior NBA insider Shams Charania dropped the massive report. He tweeted: “Twelve-time All-Star Chris Paul has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, CAA’s Steven Heumann, Ty Sullivan, and Jessica Holtz told ESPN. Paul had multiple suitors, but chose the contending Clippers and their shared history in L.A. for his likely final, 21st NBA season.” Chris Paul is running it back with the LA Clippers—like it’s 2011 with a plot twist.

On Monday, NBA insider Chris Haynes informed: CP3’s signing a one-year deal worth $3.6 million with the squad he once lit up the West with. His reunion tour is more than nostalgia. It’s legacy math. Year 21 is loading, and both Haynes and Shams Charania say this is likely the curtain call. The 12-time All-Star returns after a year with the Spurs, where he inked a $10.9 million contract and shocked everyone by playing all 82 games. Yes, all of them. At 40. He walked into free agency as one of the sharpest minds on the board.

Forget the age. Let’s talk stats. CP3 just logged 8.8 points per game in 2024–25, the lowest of his career—but this isn’t about buckets. He dished 7.4 assists with just 1.6 turnovers per game, showing court vision that still leaves defenders dizzy. And when he pulled up from deep? A clean 37.7 percent on 4.5 attempts per night. Efficient. Elegant. Icy. On defense, he reached back into his bag for 1.3 steals a game, reminding everyone why he owns six steals titles. Chris Paul may no longer explode past defenders, but he still breaks down defenses like a master conductor rewiring the symphony.

And while Paul returns home, probably for the final stint of his career, another free agent, Russell Westbrook, stands still. It’s been over a month since he declined that $10 million player option with the Denver Nuggets. And as stagnant as it seems, Mr. Triple Double hasn’t made a move. Silence is often louder than the big boom. But if any patterns hold true, then Brodie will find his way back home.

After Chris Paul and Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook could also return to where it all began

The NBA just turned into a time machine. Damian Lillard is spinning back the clock, inking a three-year, $42 million deal to rejoin the Portland Trail Blazers—the franchise that drafted him sixth in 2012 and watched him drop bars and bombs for 11 straight seasons. Meanwhile, in LA, the Clippers kicked off free agency loud, signing Brook Lopez, scooping Bradley Beal after his Suns buyout, and finally sealing the nostalgia deal by bringing Chris Paul back for one last ride on a $3.6 million contract. So, the fans demand, “Dame went back to Portland. CP3 went back to the Clippers. Time for Russ to go back to the Thunder.”

The past is dancing with the present, and it’s got a mean step-back. So what does that mean for Russell Westbrook and the Sooner State? Maybe more than you think. The OKC Thunder fans have long lit candles for a reunion, hoping their franchise icon—who poured heart, hustle, and triple-doubles into Oklahoma—returns for a farewell tour. “WHY NOT?! Russ deserves one last shot at a ring with Thunder. He’s the greatest Thunder player of all time after all,” another commented.

Meanwhile, someone wrote: “Russ and OKC reunion would be nuts 😭.” It once felt like fanfiction. OKC is deep. They are defending champs. Their roster is full. But now, with Lillard back in Rip City and CP3 rocking Clippers colors again, Westbrook’s homecoming dream doesn’t feel so far-fetched.

At the same time, a hopeful fan said, “That would be amazing … then he could finally get the ring he deserves when OKC repeats.” Not just Chris Paul, but Brodie too has missed out on holding the Larry O’Brien trophy in his arms. Both stars have despite being future Hall of Famers, don’t have a ring to their names. Yet, if Westbrook returns to OKC this summer, then maybe if they win for the second time next season… then, who knows?

“I suppose, as Elon says: the most entertaining outcome is most likely, so maybe it will happen 😂,” someone said. This fan humorously leans on Elon Musk’s idea that the most entertaining outcome often comes true, suggesting Westbrook’s dramatic return to OKC—though unlikely or unexpected—might just happen because it would be the most thrilling storyline in basketball.

Lastly, a fan added, “Back home for the fans, love to see it.” This celebrates the emotional and nostalgic impact of a player returning to their original team—like Chris Paul or possibly Russell Westbrook. It’s a nod to loyalty, legacy, and the joy fans feel when a hometown hero comes full circle.

The NBA feels like a mixtape of throwbacks with fresh beats. Chris Paul is home. Damian Lillard hit rewind. And now, all eyes are on Russell Westbrook, waiting to write his final verse where it all began. The stage is set. The script is tempting. If stories shape legends, then this next chapter might just break the internet.