Chris Paul is heading toward the end of his NBA career. Even at 40 years old, Paul can still play at an NBA level, though, much like anyone at that age, Father Time has started to catch up.
Recently, Paul has made it clear that he wants to be closer to his family as his NBA career winds down—hinting that his final stop could be with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Chris Paul Wants to Play in L.A., Fueling Lakers Rumors
During his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Paul made it clear he wants to be with his family as his NBA career winds down.
“I talked to my family about it. My son is 16. My daughter is 12. The past six seasons, I have lived without them. I’ve been away from them for the last six years. That’s the conversation,” Paul told McAfee.
Chris Paul:
“I talked to my family about it. My son just turned 16. My daughter’s 12. The past six seasons I have lived without them. I’ve been away from them for the last 6 years. That’s the conversation. I wanna be dad”
His family lives in LA for those wondering pic.twitter.com/ifHng5EVuH
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) June 5, 2025
It’s public knowledge that Paul’s family lives in Los Angeles, which still make it ambiguous as to which exact team he wants to join.
As everyone knows, Los Angeles has two NBA teams: the Lakers and Clippers. Knowing Paul wants to finish his career there, the rumors of him joining the Lakers are gaining traction. Paul was briefly a Laker in 2011 before the NBA vetoed the trade. LeBron James, one of his closest friends, is also nearing the end of his career—so a final team-up between the two could be in play.
However, Paul’s best years came with the Clippers. He’s arguably the best player in the team’s history, so a return there would make sense from a sentimental standpoint.
One obstacle standing in the way of Paul’s potential return to the Clippers is James Harden, who is expected to remain with the Clippers next season. Paul and Harden had a rocky relationship during their time together on the Houston Rockets from 2017 to 2019, so it’s unclear whether either would want to reunite.
Props to Paul for putting his family first as he considers what could be his final NBA stop. He’s been one of the greatest point guards of his era—and all-time—and deserves to go out on his terms.
