Chris Paul announces final season in the NBA

CP3 made his decision known during an interview with Underdog, which reached social media Sunday afternoon.

New Orleans drafted Paul fourth overall in the 2005 NBA Draft, when the franchise was still the Hornets, and the Wake Forest alum had an immediate impact. Paul earned 2006 All-Rookie First Team and NBA Rookie of the Year.

The point guard spent his first six years with the Hornets, and his 2008 campaign with the team remains the best season in franchise history. New Orleans finished with a franchise record 56-26 season, which was the fourth best overall record in the NBA and good enough to earn the second seed in the Western Conference.

Paul earned All-NBA honors for the first time in his career: All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive Second team. However, the Hornets’ 2008 season ended with a 91-82 Game 7 loss against the San Antonio Spurs, during the second round of the NBA Playoffs.

The North Carolina native has earned 11 total All-NBA honors: four First Team, five Second Team and two Third team; and CP3 has also gotten nine All-Defensive selections.

Following the 2011 season, the Hornets attempted to trade Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers, but after the NBA vetoed the transaction, New Orleans sent its star to the Clippers in exchange for Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman and Al-Farouq Aminu.

The Pelicans also got the Minnesota Timberwolves’ unprotected 2012 first-round pick in the trade, which became the 10th overall selection of the upcoming draft. New Orleans drafted Anthony Davis number one overall and used the additional pick on Austin Rivers.

Paul meanwhile played his next six years in Los Angeles. Then, CP3 became a league nomad: spending two years with the Houston Rockets (2018-19), one year with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2020), three seasons at the Phoenix Suns (2021-2023) where Paul reached his lone NBA Finals appearance, 2024 with the Golden State Warriors and this past season with the San Antonio Spurs.

In total, CP3 has played 20 years in the association and has built a Hall of Fame-worthy career. Paul currently has the second-most assists (12,499) and steals (2,717) in league history, and he’s scored 23,011 career points.

CP3 has also led the league in assists five teams and steals six times.

If 2025-26 is Paul’s final season, the point guard will help establish Mitch Johnson’s first year as the Spurs full-time head coach.

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