Chris Paul Retires As One Of The Highest Earners In NBA History

Chris Paul formally announced his retirement from the NBA. The point guard was the No. 4 pick in the 2005 NBA Draft and put up a Hall of Fame career over the next two decades.

Paul's final season included a return to the Los Angeles Clippers, but he and the team parted ways after a rough 5-16 start. It was a bitter end to a spectacular NBA run, though that doesn't diminish what Paul accomplished on the court.

He's a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, and nine-time NBA All-Defensive player. He's also second all-time in assists and steals, behind only John Stockton in both categories. And he will retire as the sixth-highest earner in NBA history, finishing with $404,526,572 in career earnings, per Spotrac.

Here's how much Paul made at each of his NBA stops:

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New Orleans Hornets – $44,204,701

Paul spent the first six years of his career in New Orleans after the Hornets selected him with the fourth pick in the 2005 draft. He began a stretch of nine straight All-Star appearances in New Orleans, and he achieved a trifecta of All-NBA First Team (2008), All-NBA Second Team (2009), and All-NBA Third Team (2011) awards. He also set career highs in points and steals per game during the 2008-09 season. After a potential trade to the Los Angeles Lakers was blocked by the NBA, the Hornets dealt Paul to the Clippers.

Los Angeles Clippers – $120,578,649

Paul's arrival helped turn the Clippers franchise around. Alongside rim rockers Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, the new Lob City Clippers brought excitement to the league. Paul was named to three consecutive All-NBA First Teams; no Clipper had achieved even one All-NBA First Team since the franchise moved to Los Angeles. Before the 2013-14 season, Paul received a five-year, $107 million contract extension. Despite making the playoffs every season, the Clippers never made it past the second round during Paul's tenure.

Houston Rockets – $59,923,109

The Clippers traded Paul to the Rockets during the summer of 2017. After his first season, which included his first appearance in the conference finals, the Rockets gave him a four-year contract extension worth $160 million. However, the team traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Russell Westbrook in 2019 before that contract actually began.

Oklahoma City Thunder – $36,099,827

Paul's lone season with the Thunder proved to be quite eventful. For starters, he rejuvenated his career as a veteran on a young team. This year was also when the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the season for 4.5 months. The Thunder lost a close seven-game series against the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. The Thunder traded Paul to the Phoenix Suns shortly before the 2020-21 season began.

Phoenix Suns – $100,558,814

Paul's first two seasons in Phoenix were, from a team perspective, the most successful of his career. The Suns reached the NBA Finals in 2021, and Paul signed a four-year, $120 million deal. Phoenix set a franchise record with 64 wins the following year, and Paul led the league in assists, to boot. However, the Suns were upset by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round. That led to the beginning of the end of his tenure in Phoenix. In 2023, Paul was sent to the Washington Wizards, who traded him to the Golden State Warriors a mere 12 days later.

Golden State Warriors – $30,800,000

Paul largely came off the bench with the Warriors, which ended his streak of 1,365 consecutive games started. He also fractured his hand and needed surgery, playing in only 58 games during the season. The Warriors missed the playoffs and waived him after the season ended.

San Antonio Spurs – $10,983,000

Paul joined the Spurs on a one-year deal worth nearly $11 million. Though he still played regularly, he also acted as a de facto coach, guiding younger guys like Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs finished out of the playoffs, but Paul started all 82 games. He's the only player who's done that in their 20th season.

Toronto Raptors – $1,378,472

Paul signed a one-year, $3.6 million deal to return to the Clippers. A quarter of the way into the season, the team announced it was sending Paul home. Two months later, the Clippers traded Paul to the Raptors. Toronto waived Paul after eight days, and he announced his retirement after 21 seasons.

Now, Paul is hanging up his sneakers. We may not watch him in an NBA game again, but we'll certainly see him at the Hall of Fame podium in five years.