Clippers Signing Chris Paul For Likely His Final Season

Chris Paul is headed back to where he once helped revive a franchise, as the veteran point guard has agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, per multiple reports.

Paul’s representatives at CAA confirmed the agreement, which will likely mark the final stop in a 20-year Hall of Fame career.

The contract is for the veteran minimum, per NBA insider Chris Haynes. Paul drew interest from several teams in free agency, including the Bucks, Hornets and Mavericks, but his preference was to be close to family in Los Angeles. The Clippers and Suns were considered the frontrunners from the start.

Paul turned 40 in May and is no longer the All-NBA force who made “Lob City” must-see TV. But he remains steady and productive, having started all 82 games for the Spurs last season. That matched a career high in games played, and he averaged 8.8 points and 7.4 assists while shooting nearly 38 percent from deep and over 92 percent from the line.

This will be Paul’s second stint with the Clippers, where he spent six seasons from 2011 to 2017. That run is still widely considered the franchise’s most successful era, even if it didn’t result in a Finals appearance. Paul earned All-NBA honors five times during that stretch and was named to the All-Defensive First Team every year.

He’s appeared in 1,354 NBA games, starting 1,314. The 40 bench appearances came last season with the Warriors. Whether he starts in Los Angeles this time around remains to be seen, with James Harden, Bradley Beal, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kris Dunn all part of a crowded backcourt.

Still, Paul adds leadership and depth to a team that has reshaped its roster without much financial flexibility. The Clippers used their mid-level exception to sign Beal and Brook Lopez, and recently sent Norman Powell to Utah in a deal for John Collins. Now, Paul comes on board at a bargain.

Once the deal is finalized, the Clippers will have 14 players on standard guaranteed contracts. That leaves them just shy of the first tax apron and unlikely to add another player unless a trade opens space.

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