Chris Paul returns to the LA Clippers and doesn’t rule out playing beyond the 2025–26 NBA season

The Los Angeles Clippers have significantly strengthened their roster for the upcoming 2025–26 National Basketball Association (NBA) season by adding veteran guard Chris Paul, who is set to return to the franchise for his 21st professional season.

NBA insider Chris Haynes confirmed the news on social platform X (formerly known as Twitter), stating: “Future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul has reached an agreement to return to the Los Angeles Clippers on a one-year, $3.6 million deal.”

Paul recently spoke to ESPN’s Malika Andrews, confirming that he is not ruling out the 2025–26 season being his final NBA campaign, despite turning 41 during the year.

“I don’t know. I think throughout the season, at some point you know. You sort of figure it out yourself — it tells you. More than anything this season, I will definitely enjoy it. I don’t take this for granted. I have been wanting to get back with my family for a while. To now have that opportunity — this was not a definite, this was not something that always comes around — so I approach it with so much gratitude,” Paul said.

“It’s going to be cool. Like I said, it’s a lot of gratitude to still get a chance to play at this age. I’ve always believed in just stacking days. You just have to show up, every single day. That’s what I plan on bringing to this team,” he added.

Chris Paul on potentially having No. 3 retired by the Clippers:

“It would mean everything… This fanbase from day one, the way they took me and my family in… All my teammates. Blake, DJ, all the guys over the years. It’s been a lot of history here. Hopefully we can create… pic.twitter.com/2nLUyjwG0X

— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) July 28, 2025

Paul is coming off a 2024–25 season with the San Antonio Spurs, where he played on a one-year, $10.9 million deal and entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent for the second consecutive year. While he averaged a career-low 8.8 points per game, Paul remained a productive playmaker, posting 7.4 assists to just 1.6 turnovers per game. Despite being 40 years old, he started all 82 games for San Antonio, proving to be dependable and durable.

This also marks a return to the Clippers — the team he joined in 2011 and spent six seasons with — during which he became the franchise’s all-time leader in assists (4,023) and averaged 2.2 steals per game. While no longer in his prime, Paul brings invaluable experience, leadership, and basketball IQ, boasting career averages of 17.9 points and 9.2 assists per game. His 2,717 career steals rank second in NBA history, behind only John Stockton’s 3,265.

However, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Paul has not been promised guaranteed regular playing time, but he is understanding of the situation and has agreed to the role.

Selected fourth overall by the New Orleans Hornets in the 2005 NBA Draft, Paul has also played for the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and San Antonio Spurs. Despite a long and decorated career, he has yet to win an NBA championship.

However, Paul has earned numerous individual honors, including being named the 2013 NBA All-Star Game MVP, the 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year, a five-time NBA assists leader, six-time steals leader, four-time All-NBA First Team selection, seven-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection, and 12-time NBA All-Star, among other accolades.

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