Chris Paul is back in a Clippers uniform.
Eight years after turning the Clippers from laughingstock to contenders, Paul is back for his 21st and likely final NBA season after agreeing on Monday to join the franchise on what is reportedly a one-year, $3.6 million deal.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Paul will retire after this upcoming season.
“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,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement issued by the team. “Chris will help fortify our backcourt with his exceptional ball handling, playmaking and shooting. He is joining us as a reserve point guard and is excited to fill whatever role T-Lue asks him to play. He wants to be part of the group and we’re fortunate to have him back.”
A reunion had seemed likely for weeks. Frank didn’t shy away from the possibility when he spoke to reporters on Saturday, saying they were “strongly, strongly considering him.”
Paul spent six seasons with the Clippers (2011-17) and ushered in the “Lob City” era along with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Most recently, the point guard played for the San Antonio Spurs, where he started all 82 games last season.
He averaged 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game and shot 37.7 % from 3-point range last season.
With the Clippers, the 12-time All-Star is expected to back up starter fellow future Hall of Famer James Harden.
Paul recently said he is considering retiring after this upcoming season and would like to play closer to his family, who live in Los Angeles. Playing for the Clippers would allow him to do that and close his career in familiar surroundings.
The Clippers legend told writer Jemele Hill earlier this month, “My wife and my kids are in L.A. … I love to play basketball, but I love my kids and my family more. That is going to weigh a huge part on my decision on what happens next year.”
Paul’s first stint with the Clippers was a result of the NBA’s aborted deal that would have sent him from the Charlotte Hornets to the Lakers in 2011. At the time, the league owned the Hornets and claimed the Charlotte franchise would be better if it kept Paul.
Six days later, though, Paul was dealt to the Clippers, where he helped rejuvenate the franchise, with Griffin saying, “It put us on the map.” Together, with Jordan, the three were responsible for the fast-paced style of play that became known as “Lob City.” Paul was a five-time All-Star and made five All-NBA teams during his six seasons with the Clippers.
At 40 years old, Paul will become the oldest player on a Clippers roster that was already old. It’s a lineup that includes recently signed center Brook Lopez (37), Harden (36), forward Nicolas Batum (36), forward Kawhi Leonard (34) and recently signed guard Bradley Beal (32), raising the average of their rotation to 31.6 years.
“What’s age? It’s just a number, right?” Frank said when asked about abandoning the goal of signing younger players.
“Brad actually is technically a couple months younger than Norm (Powell, who the Clippers traded to Miami), and Brook is ageless. … I think ultimately at the end of the day, you’re looking to make your team as best as you can possibly make it, whether it’s younger or older.”
Paul’s arrival reunites him with Harden. The two played two seasons together on the Houston Rockets (2017-19) and while their pairing was successful, it ended because Paul reportedly had issues with Harden as a teammate, complaining of his lack of interest in playing off the ball.
According to a 2019 Yahoo Sports story, Paul wanted out of Houston because his relationship with Harden had become “unsalvageable” after they did not speak to each other for nearly two months during the season. At that time, Paul demanded a trade.
Paul, who was drafted fourth overall by New Orleans in 2005 and was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year that season, has 12,499 assists and 2,717 steals in his career. Both marks rank No. 2 all-time on the league lists.