ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Monday that Chris Paul has decided to return to the Los Angeles Clippers. After one season with the San Antonio Spurs, Paul returned to L.A., where his family resides. The 40-year-old guard agreed to a one-year, $3.6 million contract as a reserve point guard for All-Star guard James Harden. CP3 is back with the team where he had some of his best years.
As he became a free agent this summer, there were two teams interested in him: the Clippers and the Phoenix Suns. He has made a significant impact while playing for both teams. However, after spending years away from his family, Paul finally decided to rejoin the Clippers. He averaged 18.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 2.2 steals in his stint with L.A.
The 12-time All-Star played for six years with the organization and helped the team appear in six playoff appearances. As he leaves the Spurs, Paul left a parting message to the organization and thanked the personnel he worked with in his one-year stay.
Paul thanked Gregg Popovich, the president of basketball operations for the Spurs, and Mitch Johnson, the head coach.
“Grateful for the journey,” Paul posted on Instagram. “Thank you to the San Antonio @spurs organization, Coach Pop, Coach Mitch, my teammates, the coaching staff, and the incredible fans for welcoming me this past season. Proud to have been part of a franchise with such rich history and bright future. Nothing but love for the 2-1-0
#GoSpursGo #ThankYouSA”
With the Spurs, Paul played in all 82 games for the 2024-25 NBA season. He averaged 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists on 37.7% shooting from deep. He’ll appear in his 21st season for the 2025-26 campaign.
The majority of NBA fans recall Chris Paul’s tenure with the Clippers, which included former NBA player Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Together, they formed one of the most entertaining teams in the league called Lob City. With Paul’s elite court vision and passing ability, he would often throw passes only Jordan and Griffin could reach. Additionally, they had a great supporting cast in JJ Redick and Jaman Crawford.
Following the confirmation of Chris Paul’s comeback, Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations for the Clippers, praised the NBA veteran.
“Chris is one of the most impactful players ever to wear a Clippers uniform and it’s appropriate that he returns to the team for this chapter of his career,” Frank said. “Chris will help fortify our backcourt with his exceptional ballhandling, playmaking and shooting.”
Paul is in the twilight years of his career, and returning to the team that gave him the most success could be a hint regarding his future retirement.
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