‘REUNION SEASON’: Chris Paul returns to Los Angeles Clippers

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

You can’t spell Clippers without CP.

After 14 years, Chris Paul, the orchestrator of the Los Angeles Clippers’ “Lob City” era, will be returning to the franchise and is ready to suit up for the 2025-2026 NBA season confirmed on July 22, 2025.

Paul spent the last season honing the backcourt of the San Antonio Spurs and is looking to play a mentorship role to the talent-laden Clippers team which is now hungry for basketball glory.

Aside from his grand homecoming in LA, Paul will also be reuniting with James Harden, his former teammate when he was still in his prime at the Houston Rockets.

Many believe that Paul’s return to the Clippers will be the most fitting ending to his NBA retirement tour, but the veteran point guard is yet to address the rumors that he will be hanging up his jersey at the end of the season.

NBA insider Chris Haynes revealed that Paul will sign a one-year, $3.6 million contract with the Clippers but the clauses and the conditions of the agreement are yet to be announced.

The Clippers acquired Paul after the court maestro entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. After San Antonio selected guard Dylan Harper in the first round of the NBA Rookie Draft Ceremony, analysts already predicted that the ball handler is on his way out.

Paul capped off the last season with a career-low in the scoring department, averaging only 8.8 points in just 16 minutes of playing time.

However, Paul still proved that he is still an elite facilitator, dishing out 7.4 assists per game alongside 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals.

Paul spent six fruitful years with the Clippers after a massive deal with the New Orleans Hornets (now Charlotte). In all those NBA seasons, the crafty star was able to help the franchise qualify in every Playoffs but failed to punch a ticket to the Western Conference Finals.

It was also a wild six-year ride at LA, with the arena always sold out just to witness Paul throw lobs to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, his partners in crime in the creation of the Lob City.

Paul proved to be one of the most effective mentors in the NBA, with everything he touched seeming to turn into magic.

After the Lob City era, Paul jumped to the Rockets to team up with Harden, and the duo took the squad to new heights as they almost eliminated the Golden State Warriors during their playoff encounter.

When things failed to work out regarding his contract extension, he decided to render his services to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2019-2020 NBA season, and became the best mentor and big brother to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who six years after became the league MVP and an NBA champion.

Paul’s last consistent trip to the postseason was when he was with the Phoenix Suns from 2020-2023. He was so close to winning his first-ever ring, but Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks spoiled his aspirations in the 2021 grand finals.

Before playing for the Spurs, Paul had a short stop with the Warriors, but the team failed to meet expectations and was plagued with injuries.

This season with the Clippers will feature a squad with lots of firepower, headlined by Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal, Ivica Zubac, Brook Lopez, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Kris Dunn.

Can Paul finally get his ring in the upcoming NBA season?