The 2025-2026 season was expected to serve as a retirement tour for Chris Paul. He intended to cap his 21-season NBA career as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, the franchise he led to six consecutive playoff appearances.
His stint with the Clippers was cut short, however, as it was reported that Paul and head coach Tyronn Lue clashed over differing leadership styles. After 16 games, Los Angeles’ front office expressed that it planned to part ways with Paul.
In February, Paul was traded to the Toronto Raptors in a three-team trade. Shortly afterward, the 40-year-old guard was waived and announced his official retirement from professional basketball.
In an interview with ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly, DeAndre Jordan spoke on playing alongside Paul.
“I think he’s amazing. Yeah, he’s going to push you, he’s going to challenge you to be the best player you can be. He’s going to bark at you. And you know, that’s his Napoleon complex… I needed that. And some players need that. Some guys don’t want to be challenged, and that’s fine. But I think that if you were to ask any player, they would want CP on their team.”
The 2010s Clippers
Paul was traded to the Clippers in 2011, forming a formidable trio of himself, Jordan, and Blake Griffin. The core earned the nickname “Lob City” for its fast-paced offense and skilled alley-oops.
Paul finished within the top ten of Most Valuable Player award voting throughout the majority of his six-season stint with the Clippers. He averaged 18.2 points and 9.8 assists per game for this run.
In terms of team performance, the “Lob City” era Clippers finished with a winning record each year but failed to advance past the Western Conference Semifinals. Still, this was the most consistent stretch of postseason success in the franchise’s history.
In 2017, Paul was traded to the Houston Rockets for Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell, Darrun Hilliard, DeAndre Liggins, Lou Williams, Kyle Wiltjer, a future first-round pick, and cash considerations. The Clippers were unable to agree on a contract extension with Paul and wanted to trade him before free agency started.
Overall, the 12-time All-Star established his legacy as one of the top players in the Clippers’ franchise history.
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