Will Chris Paul Retire From NBA? Insider Gives Latest Report Amid Clippers Exit

Chris Paul has no desire to retire from the NBA midseason after the Los Angeles Clippers parted ways with the 12-time All-Star on Wednesday, per comments made to ESPN and Andscape’s Marc J. Spears.

ESPN’s Shams Charania previously reported that Paul, a 21-year NBA veteran, plans to retire after the 2025-26 campaign.

Paul has enjoyed a fantastic NBA career that includes 11 All-NBA teams, a spot on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team and nine All-NBA Defensive Team honors. He also led the NBA in assists five times and steals on six occasions.

Paul joined the Clippers this past offseason. He previously played six seasons for the Clippers (2011-12 to 2016-17) and enjoyed great success in town, making the All-NBA First Team three times and the All-NBA Second Team twice.

However, his second stint with the Clippers did not go well. This season has been a tough one for Paul, who has averaged just 2.9 points on 32.1 percent shooting, 3.3 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game for the Clips. L.A. is also a massively disappointing 6-16 through 22 games, placing the Clippers 13th in the 15-team Western Conference.

Of course, the team’s struggles go far deeper than one player. In the end, Paul and Clipper leadership apparently did not see eye-to-eye.

The question is where Paul can go from there. Per Spears, the answer doesn’t appear to be clear right now.

“I remember interviewing him before the season, and the main reason he signed with the Clippers was to be close to family, go home and try to finish it there. So where does he go from here? There’s only 10 teams that have roster spots. One GM told me, ‘I just don’t have a roster spot for him.’

“Could it be away, could it be out East, could it be away from his family? I was told that Chris will cross that bridge when he gets there.”

At this very moment, Paul is still on the roster, even though he has been sent home. Per ESPN, L.A. is unable to trade Paul until Dec. 15. However, the team can waive Paul and pay his $3.6 million salary. The two sides can also agree to a buyout.