The Toronto Raptors have acquired legendary point guard Chris Paul as part of a three-team deal with the Los Angeles Clippers and Brooklyn Nets. The trade ships Paul to Toronto, while Ochai Agbaji, Toronto’s 2032 second-rounder, and cash considerations go to the Nets for facilitating the deal.
This comes after Paul was dismissed from the Clippers earlier this season after butting heads with people behind the scenes. His exit from Los Angeles was inevitable; the question was whether it would come via trade or release.
Now that Paul has a fresh start elsewhere to resume his retirement tour, let’s explore how much Paul is earning this season.
A Look at Chris Paul’s $3.6 Million Contract
Over the offseason, Paul’s CAA agents, Steven Heumann, Ty Sullivan, and Jessica Holtz, negotiated a one-year deal worth $3.6 million to return to the Clippers.
This was a significant pay cut for Paul, who earned $10,983,000 with the San Antonio Spurs last season and $30,800,000 with the Golden State Warriors the year before that. At one point, Paul earned as much as $41,358,814 from his NBA contract during his first season with the Phoenix Suns.
The reunion in Los Angeles was supposed to be a feel-good story and a way for him to go out with a team where he spent a considerable chunk of his prime years. Obviously, that didn’t work out.
Now, Paul joins a Raptors team that currently sits in the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 30-21 record.
Prior to Paul’s dismissal, he was averaging 2.9 points, 3.3 assists, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 14.3 minutes per game, while shooting a career-low 32.1% from the field, 33.3% from 3-point range, and 50.0% from the free-throw line across 16 games. He’s no longer a starting-caliber player at 40 years old, but he can provide backcourt depth and veteran leadership in Toronto.
Per Celebrity Net Worth, Paul currently has a net worth of $180 million. This estimate might actually be a bit low, as Paul has earned $401,160,385 from his NBA contracts alone. That doesn’t even factor in his lucrative endorsements with brands like Jordan Brand, Nike, Beyond Meat, Panini, and State Farm among others.
Over the course of his 21-year NBA career, Paul has averaged 16.8 points, 9.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.0 steals on 46.9/37.0/87.0 shooting splits.
Paul is a 12-time NBA All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection (including four First Team nods), 9-time All-Defensive Team selection, and former NBA Rookie of the Year who has led the league in assists five times and who led the NBA in steals six times. He is a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team and is regarded as one of the best point guards to ever play the sport.
Now, he’ll have a chance to join a likely playoff team and chase the one thing that has alluded him throughout his lengthy NBA career: a championship ring.
