Chris Paul is back in a Clippers uniform.
Eight years after turning the Clippers from laughingstock to contenders, Paul is back for his 21st and possibly final NBA season after reportedly agreeing Monday to join the franchise on a 1-year, $3.6 million deal, according to multiple reports.
Lawrence Frank, Clippers president of basketball operations, didn’t shy away from the possibility of bringing Paul back last week.
“What I’d say about Chris is he’s a great player. He’s a great Clipper … and of course we’re strongly, strongly considering him.”
Paul spent six seasons with the Clippers (2011-17) and ushered in the “Lob City” era along with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Most recently, the point guard played for the San Antonio Spurs, where he started all 82 games last season.
He averaged 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists last season. He also shot 37.7 % from 3-point range.
With the Clippers, the 12-time All-Star is expected to back up starter James Harden.
Paul recently said that he is considering retiring after this upcoming season and would like to play closer to his family, which lives in Los Angeles. Playing for the Clippers would allow him to do that and close out his All-Star career in familiar surroundings.
The Clippers legend told writer Jemele Hill earlier this month, “My wife and my kids are in LA. … I love to play basketball, but I love my kids and my family more. That is going to weigh a huge part on my decision on what happens next year.”
Paul’s first stint with the Clippers was a result of the NBA’s aborted deal that would have sent him from the Charlotte Hornets to the Lakers in 2011. At the time, the league owned the Hornets and claimed the Charlotte franchise would be better if it kept Paul.
Six days later, though, Paul was dealt to the Clippers, where he helped rejuvenate the franchise, with teammate Blake Griffin saying, “It put us on the map.” Together, with Jordan, the three were responsible for the fast-paced style of play that became known as “Lob City.”
At 40 years old, Paul becomes the oldest player on a Clippers roster that was already old. It’s a lineup that includes Brook Lopez (37), Harden (36), Nicolas Batum (36), Kawhi Leonard (34) and Bradley Beal (32), raising the average of their rotation to 31.6 years.
“What’s age? It’s just a number, right?” Frank said when asked about abandoning the goal of signing younger players.
“Brad actually is technically a couple months younger than Norm (Powell, who the Clippers traded to Miami), and Brook is ageless. … I think ultimately at the end of the day, you’re looking to make your team as best as you can possibly make it, whether it’s younger or older.”
Paul’s arrival reunites him with Harden. The two played two seasons together on the Houston Rockets (2017-19) and while their pairing was successful, it ended because Paul reportedly had issues with Harden as a teammate, complaining of his lack of interest in playing off the ball.
According to a 2019 Yahoo Sports story, Paul wanted out of Houston because his relationship with Harden had become “unsalvageable” after not speaking to each other for nearly two months during the season. At that time, Paul demanded a trade.