Reportedly, Chris Paul has reached an agreement to join the Los Angeles Clippers, according to insights from ESPN’s Shams Charania, who pointed out that Paul considered various teams but ultimately chose a reunion with the Clippers.
NBA expert Chris Haynes disclosed on Monday that Paul is set to ink a one-year deal with the Clippers for $3.6 million. Paul previously represented the Clippers from 2011 to 2017.
Both Charania and Haynes indicated that the 2025-26 season, marking Paul’s 21st year in the NBA, is expected to be the final one for the 12-time All-Star.
Last season, Paul was part of the San Antonio Spurs, where he played under a one-year contract worth $10.9 million.
[Discover more Clippers updates: L.A. team news]
Paul entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent for the second consecutive summer, standing out as one of the premier point guards available. After Fred VanVleet’s decision to stay with the Houston Rockets, Paul was ranked as the top free-agent point guard by Yahoo Sports.
Although he may not be a prolific scorer anymore, Paul continues to excel as a floor general and distributor at 40 years of age. Furthermore, he is coming off his healthiest season in recent years, having played and started in all 82 games for San Antonio last season.
In the 2024-25 season, Paul averaged a career-low of 8.8 points per game. However, he remained a prominent playmaker in basketball, averaging 7.4 assists and only 1.6 turnovers per game. When given the opportunity to shoot, he demonstrated accuracy from beyond the arc, boasting a 37.7% success rate on 4.5 3-point attempts per game. The six-time steals champion remained influential on the defensive end, recording 1.3 steals per game.
In essence, while Paul may not be at the same level as his prime, where he was considered the greatest pure point guard of his era on both ends of the court, he remains a significant player and one of the most respected veterans in the league, both on and off the court.
Earlier this summer, during an interview with Jemele Hill at the American Black Film Festival in Miami, Paul discussed his retirement plans.
“It’s reasonable to say that, despite performing at a high level, you are in the later stages of your NBA career,” Hill remarked. “How much longer do you plan to continue playing?”
“At most, one more year,” Paul responded with a slight laugh. “I’ve just completed my 20th season, which is a blessing in itself. I’ve spent more than half of my life in the NBA, which is truly fortunate. However, these are years that you cannot recover with your children and family.”
Paul elaborated: “My grandmother, who watches every game I play each night, and those moments where I can’t see her and hug her as often as I’d like, along with my uncles and aunts.”
Paul’s return to Los Angeles evokes memories of his “Lob City” era with the Clippers. The franchise, long seen as an afterthought in the Western Conference, experienced a much-needed boost in the early 2010s, largely due to the athletic plays of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, combined with Paul’s exceptional passing skills. Together, they created a series of breathtaking alley-oop dunks and led the franchise back into the playoffs.
Chris Paul spent six seasons with the L.A. Clippers, from 2011 to 2017, and will now rejoin the team for the 2025-26 season. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
(Stacy Revere via Getty Images)
Under the leadership of coach Vinny Del Negro, and later Doc Rivers in 2013, the Clippers reached the postseason in each of Paul’s six seasons with the team. Before Paul’s arrival, the Clippers had only made the playoffs once in the preceding 14 seasons. Despite their success, they never advanced beyond the Western Conference semifinals, even after holding a 3-1 series lead against the Houston Rockets in the 2014-15 season.
The era was marked by unforgettable highlights, but it also included the Donald Sterling controversy, changes in ownership, front office, and head coaching positions, devastating injuries, and disappointing playoff exits. Individually, Paul largely performed at his best, earning five All-Star and All-NBA selections.
This season, Paul will pursue another NBA championship opportunity with the Clippers. Los Angeles has achieved 50 or more wins in consecutive years but has been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs each time. Paul is the latest veteran addition to the team. The Clippers, still anchored by Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, have also acquired shooting guard Bradley Beal, power forward John Collins, and center Brook Lopez during this offseason.
In total, Paul has played for seven different franchises. Although an NBA title has eluded him, he has amassed a long list of accomplishments, including 11 All-NBA selections and nine NBA All-Defensive Team honors.
Furthermore, Paul holds the second-highest rank in NBA history with 12,499 assists and 2,717 steals.
Paul began his career with the New Orleans Hornets, where he played from 2005 to 2011. He has since played for the Clippers (2011-17), Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-23), Golden State Warriors (2023-24), and San Antonio Spurs (2024-25).
Throughout his career, he has averaged 17 points, 9.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 2 steals per game.
