One of the greatest point guards in NBA history is coming full circle. Chris Paul has officially agreed to join the Los Angeles Clippers on a one-year, $3.6 million deal for what he has declared will likely be his final NBA season, his 21st overall.
The deal, brokered by agents Steven Heumann, Ty Sullivan, and Jessica Holtz of CAA, was first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania. Despite interest from several playoff contenders, Paul has chosen to return to the Clippers, a franchise where he once helped redefine relevance and identity during the “Lob City” era.
For Paul, this isn’t just about basketball. It’s about coming home. The 39-year-old has expressed a desire to play his final year close to his family in Los Angeles, and the Clippers offer the perfect blend of comfort, nostalgia, and contention.
It’s a poetic end for a player who spent six of his prime seasons with the franchise, earning five All-Star nods during that stretch and solidifying the Clippers as a perennial Western Conference powerhouse throughout the 2010s.
Paul’s return also marks a significant piece of what has become an unexpectedly bold offseason for the Clippers. They traded for John Collins on an expiring deal to bolster their frontcourt, stole Bradley Beal in a surprise buyout sweepstakes following his exit from Phoenix, and signed Brook Lopez from the Bucks to shore up the center position behind Ivica Zubac.
Now, with Paul locked in, the Clippers have found their ideal backup point guard, a critical role that was left unfilled.
Paul isn’t expected to be the engine of the offense anymore, but his leadership, IQ, and ability to control tempo will be invaluable, especially during tight playoff moments. Whether it’s stabilizing bench units, mentoring younger guards, or managing the game late in the fourth, Paul’s presence checks every box for a team that still believes it can contend.
The Clippers’ core of Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and now Beal, if healthy, will benefit from having a floor general like Paul to direct traffic and ease ball-handling duties.
This might be the best situation for Paul to chase the elusive championship that has eluded him for two decades. And while he’s no longer the All-NBA guard of old, CP3 has shown in recent seasons with the Thunder, Suns, Warriors, and Spurs that his basketball mind remains elite.
For Clippers fans, it’s a nostalgic reunion. For Paul, it’s a legacy moment, a final ride in the city where he once captivated crowds with lobs to Blake Griffin and surgical pick-and-rolls.
As the Clippers prepare to enter their new arena, Intuit Dome, later this year, it feels fitting that one of the franchise’s defining stars will be there for the opening act and for his final chapter.
