JJ Redick Rooting Against Chris Paul, Clippers

Merlin sees JJ Redick openly hoping Chris Paul never caps his career with a title — "I hope he doesn't win an NBA championship because that would mean the Clippers win an NBA championship." Paul is reportedly planning to retire after 2025-26, and the Clippers’ 5-11 start, an aged roster, and Bradley Beal’s season-ending hip injury make a parade unlikely. Kawhi Leonard’s expected return helps, but it won’t erase the team’s structural problems or the shrinking window for a veteran point guard. Merlin knows legacy is a stubborn thing: a ring would complete Paul’s résumé, and Redick’s joke is really Lakers pride dressing up as banter. If Paul is determined, a change of scenery might be his best path; age and injuries, however, mean any late-career rescue would be an unlikely fairy tale.