By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A veteran of 1,503 games and 20 seasons in the NBA, Chris Paul expects to call it a day after one more year in the league.
“At the most, a year,” he projected the remaining course of his career during an appearance on Jemele Hill’s Spolitics podcast, “I just finished my 20th season, which is a blessing in itself. I’ve been in the NBA for more than half of my life, which is a blessing, but these years, you do not get back with your kids, with your family.”
The 40-year-old point guard is currently considering his options as an unrestricted free agent, wanting to play his final season closer to his family in Los Angeles. Fittingly, the Los Angeles Clippers are among reported potential suitors, alongside similar links to the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks.
Coming out of Wake Forest, Paul was the fourth overall pick of the 2005 draft. His long career featured six years with the Clippers, six years with the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, three years with the Phoenix Suns, two years with the Houston Rockets, and one-year spells with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, and, most recently, with the San Antonio Spurs. Last season, as a starter across all 82 contests of the 2024-25 Regular Season, he averaged 8.8 points, 7.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game.
A four-time All-NBA First Team member, plus five second-team and two third-team nods, 12-time All-Star, and more individual awards highlight a career lacking an NBA championship. However, he captured gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, representing the United States.