Chris Paul will retire at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, closing one of the longest and most accomplished careers for a point guard in league history.
Shams Charania reported the decision on Saturday, noting that the 12-time All-Star and 2006 Rookie of the Year will finish his 21st season before stepping away.
Paul’s résumé includes selection to the league’s 75 greatest players list, nine All-Defense honors, and 11 All-NBA appearances, placing him among the most decorated floor generals ever.
The 40-year-old is in his final year with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he has moved into a reserve role on a roster led by James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.
Paul has averaged 2.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 10 appearances this season, functioning primarily as a stabilizer for second-unit lineups.
His minutes have been limited, but his playmaking has remained efficient, posting a 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio that aligns with his career-long command of possessions.
The Clippers enter Saturday at 4-11, struggling to generate consistent offense despite major scoring from Harden at 26.5 points per game and Leonard at 24.3.
Paul’s decision arrives as the franchise continues to search for cohesion, with Ivica Zubac, John Collins, and Derrick Jones Jr. rounding out a rotation that has yet to find sustained rhythm.
Paul’s career arc spans stops in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Houston, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Golden State, and San Antonio before returning to the Clippers this season.
He has averaged 16.9 points and 9.2 assists for his career, while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from three across 1,364 regular-season games.
Paul’s peak seasons included multiple years above 10 assists per game and several campaigns with top-tier efficiency, such as his 2013-14 season when he posted 10.7 assists and 2.5 steals.
Paul also delivered significant postseason runs, most notably guiding Phoenix to the 2021 NBA Finals, where the Suns reached their first championship series since 1993.
The veteran, North Carolina native, tweeted “Back in NC!!! What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!” ahead of tonight’s gam against the Hornets, effectively announcing his farewell tour.
