Obviously, he鈥檚 already 40 years old and retirement is on the horizon. All of that aside, after signing a $10.5 million contract with San Antonio last season, he鈥檚 unlikely to want to cut his pay in half. On the one hand, he won鈥檛 have to move too far if he signs with Dallas, which could appeal to him due to his age and lifestyle. Still, making half of his previous season鈥檚 salary after playing better than he did the prior season may not sit right with him.
With that in mind, there are 17 teams that could sign a player using the non-taxpayer鈥檚 mid-level exception this offseason, per ESPN鈥檚 Bobby Marks. A couple of those teams are even playoff contenders. The Los Angeles Clippers, whom Paul starred for during his prime, are one. The Milwaukee Bucks, who lost Damian Lillard to a torn Achilles early in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, are another.
There鈥檚 A Reason They鈥檙e Affordable
This could leave the Mavericks choosing Malcolm Brogdon. Both he and D鈥橝ngelo Russell are coming off of forgettable seasons. However, their intangibles are vastly different.
D鈥橝ngelo Russell
Though often affable, Russell is a lightning-rod for controversy and negativity. That being said, Dallas has been rocked by controversy. So much so that it鈥檚 hard to imagine he鈥檚 much more than a fall-back option. The fact that he tends to disappear in the playoffs is even more problematic than that.
Ultimately, Russell is a very skilled combo guard. He wasn鈥檛 a second overall pick and hasn鈥檛 started in 567 games for no reason. Furthermore, he鈥檚 the type of player who might sign a $5.7 million contract in order to help boost his value for a future free agency. Yet, signing him might be too risky.
Malcolm Brogdon
Meanwhile, Brogdon is revered as a leader in the locker room and the community. He won鈥檛 cause any distractions or headaches with his behavior. The maturity he provides will lend itself the type of environment that Dallas needs.
In terms of what he provides on the court, he鈥檚 a shifty scorer, efficient three-point threat, smart playmaker and a physically strong defender at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds. Indeed, he鈥檚 only two years removed from being named the Sixth Man of the Year. It鈥檚 arguably even more impressive that he accomplished this while playing for a title-contender in the Boston Celtics.
His biggest problem is that his health is a huge variable. He鈥檚 played more than 60 games just once in the past five seasons.