After 21 seasons in the NBA, Chris Paul has announced his retirement.
The 40-year-old Paul was traded on February 4, 2026 from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Toronto Raptors in a three-team deal before the trade deadline. The deal was primarily motivated by finances, with Toronto sending Ochai Agbaji as part of the deal to the Brooklyn Nets, allowing the Raptors to duck the luxury tax. The Clippers meanwhile saved about $7 million in their luxury tax bill, while removing a player from their roster
in Paul who had clashed with coach Ty Lue. It was always unlikely that Paul would ever play for his new team, and shortly before Paul’s retirement announcement, the Raptors announced Paul had been waived. Paul was on a $3.63 guaranteed veteran minimum contract.
Chris Paul was a McDonald’s All-American in high school, and he enjoyed two successful seasons with Wake Forest before declaring for the NBA Draft. He was selected fourth in the first round of the 2005 draft by the New Orleans Hornets, for whom he played six seasons. He would eventually play for the Clippers (twice), the Houston Rockets, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Phoenix Suns, the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs. His best season was probably 2007-08 with the Hornets, when he averaged 21.1 point and 11.6 assists per game, leading the team to 56 wins and a Southwest Division title, and the 2nd seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Hornets eventually lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Semifinals.
Paul was a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA honoree, and was named nine times to the All-Defense team. He was the 2005-06 Rookie of the Year, and he led the NBA in assists five times and steals six times. He was the first player to record 20,000 points and 10,000 assists, with only LeBron James and Russell Westbrook joining that elite club. He was a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist in 2008 and 2012, and was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history.
Over his 21 seasons Paul played 45,836 minutes in 1,370 games. He scored 23,058 points and dished 12,552 assists while amassing 2,728 steals. He finished his career shooting 48.4% from the field, 37.3% from deep, together with 9.2 assists per game. He’ll go down as one of the elite point guards in NBA history, with only John Stockton tallying more assists or steals than Paul. He’s eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2030, and will be expected to be a first-ballot inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
