Paul's signing with the Clippers receives an A rating: finding a qualified substitute for Harden to expand the rotation and avoid overusing stars.

On July 22, Beijing time, Chris Paul reached an agreement with the Clippers to return to the team. ESPN subsequently gave this signing an A rating, and here’s the analysis—

this reunion brings Paul back to the place where he shone for six seasons from 2011 to 2017, and as long as he is clear about his expectations, it seems beneficial for both parties.

As a free agent last summer, Paul prioritized playing time. He signed with the Spurs and ultimately played all 82 games, becoming the first player to complete a full season in his 20th NBA season and beyond.

After joining the Clippers, Paul may serve as a backup to his former Rockets teammate Harden, and it’s unlikely he will start. The partnership between Harden and Paul nearly took the Rockets to the finals in their first season together but ended unhappily a year later. However, now both players are at different stages in their careers, which may mark the final chapters of their respective journeys.

Signing Paul is the Clippers' latest move to address the team's age issues and star Kawhi Leonard's injury history. By bringing in enough capable players, head coach Tyronn Lue should be able to find a workable rotation during the regular season.

When healthy, the Clippers had 11 players last season averaging at least 17 minutes per game. The Clippers' four new additions—Paul (28.0 minutes), Bradley Beal (32.1 minutes), John Collins (30.5 minutes), and Brook Lopez (31.8 minutes)—all comfortably exceeded this standard, while they only lost two players who averaged significant minutes (Norman Powell, 32.6 minutes; unsigned free agent Amir Coffey, 24.3 minutes).

If the Clippers can enter the playoffs with a healthy roster, it may lead to some player dissatisfaction, but the injuries during the regular season should mean there’s enough playing time to go around. Moreover, there should be at least two players rotating at each position (with five in the backcourt, Paul, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Kris Dunn will serve as backups for Beal and Harden), which should allow Coach Lue to avoid overusing Harden and Leonard like he did in last season's first-round seven-game loss to the Denver Nuggets.

This signing is uncertain in bringing the Clippers closer to winning the Western Conference title, as the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder retained their entire rotation, the Nuggets improved their roster depth, and the Rockets signed Kevin Durant.

However, the Clippers also appear to have made improvements. Additionally, while doing so, they are looking to the future; through short-term contracts, the Clippers could free up salary space as early as next summer.