According to NBA insider Ary on Wednesday, the possibility of Chris Paul returning to the Houston Rockets is rising. Another reporter, Brett Siegel, stated that both the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Houston Rockets have expressed interest in acquiring Paul.

The 40-year-old Paul previously played for the New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and San Antonio Spurs. In July, he returned to the Clippers after a 14-year absence on a one-year, $3.6 million contract. To date, he has played 1,370 regular-season games, averaging 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game, and has been selected to the All-Star team 12 times and the All-NBA team 4 times.

However, Paul struggled after returning to the Clippers, averaging only 2.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 16 regular-season games. The Clippers also struggled, finishing the season with a 6-16 record, second to last in the Western Conference.

At 3:00 AM local time on December 3, Paul was sent home by the Clippers. Clippers President of Basketball Lawrence Frank subsequently released a statement confirming that the two sides had parted ways with him effective immediately: "We have parted ways with Chris Paul, and he is no longer a member of the team. We will assist him in planning the next step of his career."

According to a previous report by ESPN reporter Shams Charania, one of the factors that led to Paul's early release by the Clippers was the escalating conflict with the team. His leadership style was considered "extremely destructive" by Clippers executives due to his repeated public calls for management, coaches, and players to take responsibility.

Nevertheless, Paul has no intention of retiring. He and the Clippers are looking for a team where he can finish the last season of his career, and the Rockets happen to be the ideal choice.

The Rockets are aiming for the championship this season, and after 22 rounds, they are currently third in the Western Conference with a 16-6 record. They urgently need a starting point guard to fill the void left by Fred VanVleet's season-ending injury.

It's worth mentioning that Rockets star Kevin Durant sent a positive message to Paul after the game against the Dallas Mavericks: "Chris Paul is a legend—a Hall of Famer and a highly skilled point guard. Hopefully, he can return to the team, after all, this is the last year of his career. Hopefully, he can end his career the way he wants."

Paul previously played two seasons for the Rockets. During that time, he appeared in 116 regular season games for the Rockets, averaging 17.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.