Chris Paul dropped an unsubtle hint about where he'll likely spend last NBA season
After 20 NBA seasons, the legendary Chris Paul is almost ready to hang up his sneakers.
But first, Paul wants one more bite at the apple, one more chance at the Larry O'Brien Trophy that has eluded him for his entire illustrious career. That, or he really just wants one more crack at high-level basketball competition. Either or.
In a conversation with Jemele Hill at the 2025 American Black Film Festival, the 12-time All-Star said he has "at the most, a year" left in the NBA. Which, you know, isn't particularly shocking for someone who just turned 20 and has spent two decades playing professional basketball. Quite frankly, it's still impressive that Paul has the capacity to be a notable, positive contributor to an NBA team, given the considerable mileage on his odometer.
No, no, what's more fascinating here is where Paul will likely spend his possible last NBA season. In the same conversation with Hill, Paul maintained it's his priority to stay close to home in Los Angeles so he can be around his family more.
Hmm. Assuming this primarily refers to the Los Angeles Lakers and the L.A. Clippers, that doesn't leave many options, now does it?
On paper, both the Lakers and Clippers could use someone like Paul. That's because a steady point-of-attack defender who facilitates with the best of them seldom has issues finding a job.
For the Lakers, they don't really have much of a dependable perimeter defense in the first place. Any sort of smart, tenacious defending (and playmaking) would be a welcome boon for a team employing Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and a 40-year-old LeBron James. No disrespect to DeAndre Ayton in the frontcourt, but he's probably not moving the needle that much. As it stands, the purple and gold might ask too much of Paul in his twilight NBA campaign, but his impact would be undeniable.
As for the Clippers, they are a team to "keep a very close eye" on regarding Paul, according to ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel. They have been busy stacking veterans like John Collins and Brook Lopez over the last week or so. Outside of his personal interests, Paul feels like a natural basketball fit in that regard for a Clippers team clearly looking to contend in 2025:
Keep a very close eye on the Clippers not only adding Bradley Beal, once he is bought out by the Suns, but also bringing back Chris Paul for his final NBA season. https://t.co/4YMPVaJiS4
One thing seems certain here. Whatever decision Paul ultimately comes to, his possible final NBA season should be a doozy to track from start to finish. We wouldn't have it any other way.
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