Chris Paul’s second stint with the Los Angeles Clippers has come to an end, as the Clippers surprisingly parted ways with the ‘Point God’ amid a 5-16 start to the 2025-26 NBA season.
Paul, 40, had an extremely reduced role with L.A. This season, as he appeared in 16 games (no starts) and averaged just 14.3 minutes per appearance. As a result, he posted career lows across the board in all major counting stats.
"Chris is a legendary Clipper who has had a historic career,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement. “I want to make one thing very clear. No one is blaming Chris for our underperformance. I accept responsibility for the record we have right now. There are a lot of reasons why we've struggled. We're grateful for the impact Chris has made on the franchise."
Paul now faces an uncertain NBA future. So, what’s next for the future Hall-of-Famer?
The Clippers have a few options when it comes to moving on from Paul. They could waive him and pay out his $3.6 million salary. In that situation he would be free to sign elsewhere once waived. They could also buy him out, or look to trade him, though they wouldn’t be able to execute a trade involving Paul until Dec. 15, which is the date that players who signed a new contract over the season can be moved.
Have we seen the last of Chris Paul in the NBA?
There are options, but it’s fair to wonder if we’ve seen the last of Paul on an NBA court. After all, there was a reason that he was barely playing on a putrid Clippers team. Paul can’t move like he used to, and that’s impacted his entire game. He's not easily able to get by defender or get to the rim. Those who watched him play this season probably noticed that he looked like a shell of himself from his prime playing days.
In reality, Paul probably should have called it a career prior to the current campaign, but it can be difficult to walk away. Plus, Paul started all 82 games for the Spurs last season, so perhaps he thought he had a little bit more gas left in the tank than he actually did.
These were his stats with L.A. This season: 2.9 points, 3.3 assists, 1.8 rebounds, 32 percent shooting from the floor. Out of 296 players with at least 200 minutes played this season, Paul ranks 279th in player efficiency rating and 277th in box plus/minus, per ESPN. Not the numbers of an especially productive player.
With the way he looked this season, it’s tough to imagine a team being too eager to add him to the rotation, and if his name weren’t Chris Paul, his NBA future probably wouldn’t even be a conversation. He would be done. But, he is Chris Paul, and his resume could potentially afford him yet another opportunity.
For instance, a contending team looking to bolster the backcourt for a playoff push could probably talk themselves into adding the veteran guard, even though they might be better served looking elsewhere.
Ultimately, it might come down to what Paul wants to do. His days as a starter in the league are obviously over. If he wants to accept a reserve role somewhere to close out his career, more power to him. You couldn’t blame Paul if he doesn’t want the abrupt ending with the Clippers to be his final chapter.
Or, maybe Paul will simply decide that enough is enough. The end comes for everybody, and there’s nothing wrong with admitting that. Paul has had an illustrious career, and has very little left to prove. He’s widely considered to be one of the greatest point guards of all time, and he has the second most assists in NBA history. His legacy is already set in stone.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Paul in the coming days and weeks. There remains a chance that another team will look to pick him up, but they’ll likely be doing so based on name recognition, as opposed to who Paul actually is as a player now.
If we have seen the last of Paul in the NBA, it’s been a hell of a ride.