Chris Paul’s Unexpected One-Year Deal with Clippers Sparks Speculation – What’s Next for the Star Point Guard?

Chris Paul was looking for a couple of things in a new team for the upcoming season. First, and most importantly, to be close to his family in Los Angeles (something he was missing last season in San Antonio). Second, to be on a team that will be playing meaningful games this season and be a playoff threat.

Paul’s role with the Clippers will be different this time around, and it will be different from last season with the Spurs, where he started all 82 games. He likely will come off the bench behind a starting backcourt of James Harden and either Bradley Beal (for his offense) or Kris Dunn (for his defense). Paul found all that in agreeing to a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN. This is a one-year, veteran minimum contract, Chris Haynes confirmed. Paul, 40, had interest from multiple teams such as Milwaukee, Charlotte and Dallas, but because of his desire to be closer to his family it has long been assumed a reunion with the Clippers or Suns was the most likely outcome.

Age concerns aside, getting a solid point guard and floor general in CP3 on a one-year contract is a good signing for the Clippers.

Paul played six seasons with the Clippers, leading the Lob City team with Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Jamal Crawford, and others, a team that was considered a contender in the West but was held back by injuries some years and painful playoff collapses in others. In his first five years with the Clippers, CP3 never finished lower than seventh in MVP voting, and was an All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defense each of those five years. With the Clippers he averaged 18.8 points and 9.8 assists a game.This is a Clippers roster that looks good on paper but is older with players such as Paul (40), Brook Lopez (37), Nicolas Batum (36), James Harden (35), Kawhi Leonard (34) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (33 before training camp opens). Health and monitoring minutes will be a primary task for coach Tyronn Lue. The Clippers chose to get older and better this summer, with a chance to pivot and reshape this roster coming by 2027. Chris Paul’s decision to rejoin the Los Angeles Clippers feels like coming full circle—but with a twist. At 40, Paul isn’t just chasing stats; he’s pursuing a return to meaningful basketball while staying close to home, something last season in San Antonio left him yearning for. The Clippers, an aging yet talent-laden squad, just nabbed a savvy veteran on a one-year, minimum deal, blending experience with a clear vision for playoff contention. It’s a reunion steeped in nostalgia, but don’t mistake this for a replay of the Lob City era—this time, CP3’s role will shift, his minutes carefully managed under Coach Tyronn Lue’s watchful eye. Though the roster leans on seasoned pros, the Clippers’ gamble on Paul’s leadership and grit could just pay off in their quest to rise above. Intrigued? LEARN MORE