Chris Paul will make his return to the Clippers in 2025, and it is expected that he will end his career with the team that he first played for from 2011 to '17. ESPN's Brian Windhorst notes, however, that there have been no guarantees made to Paul about his role with the team.
The 12-time All-Star has been locked in as a starter for virtually his entire NBA career, beginning his team's games at point guard in 1,314 of his 1,354 career contests. Only in 2023–24 with the Warriors, when he came off the bench for 40 of his 58 appearances, did he play in a single game that he didn't start. And even that season, he was an important player for Golden State, playing 26.4 minutes per game—a respectable number though a career low for Paul.
That won't be the case for his second go-around with Los Angeles, Windhorst said on NBA Today Monday.
"From what I understand he's not going to have guaranteed playing time. There are going to be nights where James Harden and their backup Kris Dunn get the minutes at point guard and Chris Paul might not play at all, which is something we've never seen from him before. He has understood that, he understands it."
Brian Windhorst on Chris Paul signing with the Clippers: "From what I understand he's not gonna have guaranteed playing time. There are going to be nights where James Harden and their backup Kris Dunn get the minutes at point guard and Chris Paul might not play at all...he has… pic.twitter.com/Qo5cve1xIx
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 22, 2025
Ultimately for Paul, this decision came down to the ability to play in Los Angeles, where his family has remained as he's bounced around for stints in Houston, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, San Francisco and San Antonio. With Harden, who is still playing point guard at a high level, and Dunn locked into the rotation, Paul will have to sacrifice his minutes in order to join that ideal situation.
"He is going to be in that spot that he hasn't," Windhorst said. "He wants to be on a competitive team in the market he wants to play in near his family."
Paul and Harden previously teamed up with the Rockets, where their relationship was rocky at times. Windhorst says that Harden has given the move his blessing, and that the Clippers hope that bringing in a veteran like Paul will help them reduce Harden's workload during the season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NBA Insider Reveals Interesting Note on Clippers' Plan for Chris Paul.
