yahoo - 2/13/2026 8:57:14 PM - GMT (+2 )
Chris Paul is retiring as an NBA player.
Paul announced on Friday, Feb. 13, "he's stepping away from basketball," in the wake of reports that the Toronto Raptors had waived him. The 40-year-old point guard was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to the Toronto Raptors as part of a multi-team deal ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline earlier this month.
"It's time for me to show up for others and in other ways," the State Farm pitchman wrote in an Instagram post announcing his retirement decision. "This last season, I knew I couldn't do it unless I was at home with my family."
If Paul does not play in the league again, his last NBA game will have been on Dec. 1, 2025. But this was not his original plan for the season and the way it played out will go down as an unceremonious ending for a future Hall of Famer with his credentials.
Paul signed a one-year, $3.6-million contract to return to the Clippers this past offseason, and be closer to his family in Los Angeles after six seasons playing elsewhere. He later announced this would be his final NBA season.
But the Clippers then shocked the NBA in December when they sent Paul home in the wee hours of the night in the middle of a road trip as the team struggled early on this season. General Manager Lawrence Frank and coach Tyronn Lue made clear the organization intended to part ways with one of the greatest players in franchise history as reports emerged about friction involving Paul's leadership style inside the team's locker room.
Paul averaged a career-low 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in 14 minutes per game with the Clippers this season.
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