The Los Angeles Clippers entered this summer of 2025 in search of a backup center and a backup point guard. To start free agency, the Clippers reached an agreement with Brook Lopez. Now, after signing Bradley Beal following his buyout with the Phoenix Suns, the Clippers are bringing Chris Paul back to LA.

Paul and the Clippers agreed to a 1-year, $3.6 million minimum contract on Monday morning, allowing the future Hall of Fame point guard to finish his career with the team he spent the most time with, league sources told ClutchPoints.

The veteran guard spent six seasons with the LA Clippers from 2011 to 2017, where he was named an NBA All-Star five times. Across those six seasons where played 409 regular season games, Paul averaged 18.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 2.2 steals per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three.

The 12-time NBA All-Star made the surprising decision last season to join Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, forgoing an opportunity to win a championship to earn a bit more money while helping an up-and-coming Spurs franchise.

Paul played all 82 games for the Spurs in the 2024-25 season, averaging 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.3 steals in 28 minutes per game. Paul also shot 42.7 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from three.

Throughout the offseason, Paul had been linked to the Clippers. Even before the team agreed to a contract with Beal, the widespread expectation was that LA would reunite with the veteran point guard.

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By returning to Los Angeles, Paul joins forces with a couple of familiar names.

James Harden spent two seasons with Paul on the Houston Rockets from 2017 to 2019. Head coach Tyronn Lue was also an assistant on the Clippers coaching staff during the 2013-14 season when Paul was the team's starting point guard.

Before the agreement between Paul and the Clippers, LA was said to also hold interest in veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon to fill their backup point guard slot behind Harden.

Now, the Clippers have built a strong core, headlined by Harden, Paul, Beal, Kawhi Leonard, John Collins, and Ivica Zubac. Los Angeles has put themselves at the forefront of championship conversations in the Western Conference, and Paul will hold a key role coming off the bench for the Clippers.

(ClutchPoints' NBA insider Brett Siegel also contributed to this report).

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