Mavericks quietly emerge as major winners from Chris Paul-Clippers signing

In the midst of the dog days of July, there isn't much going on for anyone on the Dallas Mavericks besides training, rehab (for some players), and trying to relax ahead of another grueling 82-game season that could very well include the playoffs this year. A large determinant in Dallas making the playoffs next season will be if the performance of their guard corps suffices, as Kyrie Irving misses an indefinite amount of time next season rehabbing from a torn ACL, as newly-signed guard D'Angelo Russell will likely assume the starting role until Irving returns.

There were other options on the table for the Mavericks, though, such as Chris Paul or Malcolm Brogdon, but Dallas is hopeful they made the correct decision with Russell, being that he's in the middle of his prime and on a prove-it contract. Of those other options, Paul recently signed with the LA Clippers, as he returns back to a place he's seen plenty of success at and will be closer to his family in what looks like will be the last season of his career.

While Brogdon still hasn't signed elsewhere in the free agency market, many Mavericks fans really wanted Paul to be the stopgap point guard with Irving out of the lineup, but Dallas dodged a bullet here due to a variety of reasons.

Mavericks dodged a bullet because of Chris Paul's age and ego

First off, Paul is now 40 years old, and despite coming off a season where he played all 82 games, nothing is guaranteed as far as health is concerned for a smaller guard at that age. Paul is a great ball mover, floor general, and competes as much as he defensively for his age, but he doesn't have the athleticism to be near as dynamic of a shot creator as he was earlier in his career, and this along with Russell's ability to play off-ball are areas he should be undoubtedly better at for the Mavericks next season.

Paul can still run a second unit and get everyone involved offensively, but the Mavericks need real scoring punch and creation with Irving out.

Paul would be a great backup for the Mavericks once Irving returns, as it seems that's the role he'll assume with the Clippers, but it would be interesting to see if Paul's pride or ego would've gotten in the way had he signed with the Mavericks and been forced to come off the bench once Irving returns, as Paul is notoriously competitive and wants to be on the court at all times.

However, Paul did take a backseat to De'Aaron Fox when he got traded to the San Antonio Spurs last season, so while ego may not have necessarily been a factor if he was forced to take a lesser role in Dallas upon Irving returning, his age, lack of three-level scoring, and defensive concerns at this stage in his career are all prominent factors in why Dallas made the right decision to go after someone like Russell instead of Paul.

Paul could have a great season in a tailor-made situation for him in LA as a backup point guard, as he'll essentially be the fourth or fifth-best shot creator on a contending-level team next season. Paul's still an elite playmaker, but the shot creation duties he would've been tasked to handle with Irving out next season could've been too much for him to handle, especially with Irving's return being indefinite, so Dallas made the right decision to let Paul go back to a more comfortable situation in LA.