Chris Paul is set to spend his likely 21st and final NBA season back in Los Angeles.
The 40-year-old veteran has agreed to a reported one-year, $3.6 million deal with the LA Clippers for the 2026-27 campaign.
Paul’s homecoming comes after a year with the San Antonio Spurs, where he made history by playing all 82 games during the 2024-25 season. At 40, he became the first player to play a full 82-game season in his 20th season or later, averaging 8.8 points and 7.4 assists.
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This marks his second stint with the Clippers, where he played for six seasons (2011-2017). During that time, he became the franchise’s all-time leader in assists with 4,023, while earning five All-Star selections and five All-NBA honors — both of which are the most in franchise history.
ESPN's NBA senior insider Shams Charania reported a few hours earlier that his 21st season was his "likely final" one.
"Paul had multiple suitors, but chose the contending Clippers and their shared history in L.A. for his likely final, 21st NBA season," Charania posted.
Twelve-time All-Star Chris Paul has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, CAA's Steven Heumann, Ty Sullivan and Jessica Holtz told ESPN. Paul had multiple suitors, but chose the contending Clippers and their shared history in L.A. for his likely final, 21st NBA season. pic.twitter.com/qC640MFFeI
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 21, 2025
Although his Clippers teams often fell short in the postseason, never advancing past the Western Conference semifinals, Paul's impact on the team’s transformation from a league afterthought to a playoff contender is undeniable.
The Clippers have revamped their roster this offseason, adding several veterans including Bradley Beal and Brook Lopez on top high-flying gorward John Collins.
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Paul will also reunite with former teammate James Harden. The two played together for two seasons in Houston, where they led the Rockets to a franchise-best 65-17 record in their first year as teammates.
The duo led Houston to reach the 2018 Western Conference Finals, where they held a 3-2 series lead with against eventual champions Golden State Warriors before losing the final two games due to Paul’s ill-timed hamstring strain in the closing seconds of Game 5.
In 2018-19, the Rockets (53-29) failed to recapture their form after losing key defenders like Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute and fell to the Warriors once again, this time in the semifinals.
Paul’s return mirrors that of another veteran guard in Damian Lillard, who recently made his own homecoming to the Portland Trail Blazers after being waived by the Milwaukee Bucks.
[ALSO READ: Damian Lillard confirms reunion with Portland Trail Blazers on a three-year deal]
He expected to play a key role in the Clippers’ pursuit of an NBA title, providing invaluable leadership and experience to a team still led by Harden and two-time champion Kawhi Leonard.
LA is coming off a third straight West opening round exit after falling to seven games against three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the no. 4 Denver Nuggets in last season's playoffs.
