Chris Paul Contemplates His NBA Future Ahead of His 40th Birthday

Paul is finishing up his 20th NBA season—was it his last dance this year?

San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul shoots a basket. / David Richard-Imagn Images

Chris Paul is ending his 20th NBA season this year, and he will be 40 years old in May, making him the second oldest active player in the league behind LeBron James. Was the 2024-25 season the last dance for Paul?

He doesn't think so.

In a recent interview with Andscape, the 12-time All-Star said he evaluates his future at the end of every season, but as of now, he sounds like he wants to keep playing.

“I’ll be 40 in May. So, yeah man, I’m going to keep playing, I think,” Paul said. “At the end of every season, I evaluate everything. Evaluate playing. Evaluate how my body feels. But the more years that go by, it’s more conversations with my family, with my kids. They have a lot of say so. They got a lot of input.

“Obviously, I got a lot of homies, friends that have retired or whatnot. And they are always like, ‘Man, play as long as you possibly can. Play as long as you possibly can.’ And I appreciate that. But I also, I just always want to talk to my kids about it because that’s the most important job that I have. I love to play. I definitely love my kids and my family more than I like to play. Anybody who’s in this knows the sacrifice could goes longer. I said this summer I will evaluate it and talk to my family about it.”

Paul doesn't take it for granted that he can still play at nearly 40 years old—not every NBA player is blessed with that long of a career.

“I’m proud. Grateful. I don’t think about it too much,” Paul said. “I always tell these guys on my team, ‘I couldn’t imagine being done at 25. I couldn’t imagine being done at 35.’ I still can’t even imagine at some point being done. I’ve been in the league half of my life."

As of now, Paul will become a free agent after the 2024-25 season ends as his contract with the San Antonio Spurs is set to expire. If he decides to continue his NBA career, then he will need to find a new landing spot. He's already played for seven teams in his career. And, there is still the option for him to return to the Spurs on a new contract.

We'll see what's next for Paul.

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