Chris Paul Called 'Reserve PG' by Clippers President, Expected to Play 'Whatever Role'
Chris Paul is a future Hall of Famer, one of the best players of his generation and a franchise icon for the Los Angeles Clippers, but he will be playing a different role in his second stint with the team.
"He is joining us as a reserve point guard and is excited to fill whatever role T Lue asks him to play," president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in the team's announcement that it agreed to a new deal with the veteran on Monday.
What that "reserve point guard" role will ultimately be remains to be seen, but ESPN's Shams Charania provided a preview during NBA Today.
"I'm told Chris Paul very much understands his role could fluctuate night to night," he said. "He might not play on some nights, but the ability to start, come off the bench and be a plug-and-play player, this is something that could have a pretty impactful role coming off that Clippers bench."
Paul previously played for the Clippers for six seasons from 2011-12 through 2016-17 and was a five-time All-Star during that span. He also led the league in assists in back-to-back seasons in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
He remains the franchise's all-time leader in assists and was the leader of a squad known for its lob passes, monster dunks and fast pace of play.
Yet Paul is 40 years old and joining a team that already has James Harden running the show as the primary ball-handler. It also has a number of veterans, including Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal, John Collins, Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez, so it likely won't be setting an NBA record for pace of play.
Paul isn't going to be captaining Lob City 2.0 during what may be the final season of his career.
Instead, he will likely back up Harden for extended stretches and provide veteran leadership for a team with realistic championship aspirations. He is also still an excellent facilitator and averaged 7.4 assists in 28 minutes per night last season on the San Antonio Spurs.
In a league filled with teams that often look to go younger and more explosive when it comes to roster building, the Clippers are fully committed to a number of veterans for the 2025-26 campaign.
Paul's overall versatility and apparent willingness to play different roles will help keep some of those veterans fresh as he pursues the championship that has so far eluded him.
