Latest news with #ChrisPaul
Yahoo
2 hours ago
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'CP3' lives on as Bradley Beal agrees to give No. 3 jersey to new Clippers teammate Chris Paul
Chris Paul won't have to worry about choosing a number next season as he makes his return to the Los Angeles Clippers. New teammate Bradley Beal has opened the door for "CP3" to continue in what could very well be the veteran's final NBA season.. Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said Tuesday that Beal, who has worn No. 3 his entire career, offered up the number to Paul, who has also worn No. 3 over his 20 years in the league. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] "Once Brad heard that it was a possibility that Chris was coming, he said, 'I want to give him my number.' And I don't even think Chris knows this yet," Frank said. "So it's awesome that Brad made such a great gesture like that." A similar gesture was made last season when Paul played for the San Antonio Spurs. Forward Keldon Johnson gave up the No. 3 after Paul signed a one-year deal last summer. The 40-year-old Paul, a future Hall of Famer, also wore the No. 3 while at Wake Forest. He's played for seven franchises with 1,354 games played and more than 23,000 points scored. He is a 12-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA First Teamer, seven-time All-Defensive First Teamer and a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary team, among numerous other honors. Paul played for the Clippers from 2011-2017 and is the franchise's leader in assists and steals per game. He will be in a bench role this time around in LA, but can still be productive. He's coming off a 2024-25 season where he played 82 games and averaged 8.8 points, 7.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. 'Chris was the best guy for the job as long as we all understand what the role is,' Frank said. 'There will be nights Chris plays a lot and there will be nights he does not.'
Yahoo
18 hours ago
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GM Confirms Clippers 'Strongly Considering' Reunion with Former All-Star
GM Confirms Clippers 'Strongly Considering' Reunion with Former All-Star originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Clippers appear to be all in on signing past-their-prime All-Stars. Beyond 35-year-old James Harden and 34-year-old Kawhi Leonard — both of whom remain at least All-Star-caliber if not quite MVP-caliber anymore — L.A. inked free agent deals with 32-year-old Bradley Beal and 37-year-old North Hollywood native Brook Lopez. The Clippers also re-signed 37-year-old Nicolas Batum, who while never an All-Star certainly has seen better days as a 3-and-D combo forward. Advertisement Clearly, L.A. is prioritizing experience over upside this summer. Beal specifically appears to have been added as a Norman Powell replacement, after the Clippers offloaded the standout swingman to the Miami Heat in exchange for veteran forward John Collins as part of a three-team exchange with the Utah Jazz. Ex-Heat forwards Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson — plus a 2027 second-round draft pick from the Clippers — were shipped off to Utah. During a recent Zoom call with reporters, Clippers general manager Lawrence Frank indicated that the club is very interested in reuniting with one of the team's own legendary former superstars. Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints was on said call, and captured the moment Frank revealed the team was heavily considering bringing in former 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul. Advertisement 'What I'd say about Chris is he's a great player, he's a great Clipper. He obviously possesses some of the qualities we just referenced," Frank said. "Of course, we're strongly strongly considering him.' Paul played for the Clippers from 2011-16 during the club's "Lob City" era alongside fellow All-Stars Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. In 409 healthy regular season contests, the 6-foot Wake Forest product averaged 18.8 points on .475/.378/.881 shooting splits, 9.8 dishes, 4.2 boards, and 2.2 swipes per. Advertisement He's in a different phase of his career at this point, but remains a solid playmaker, scorer and passer. While playing all 82 regular season games for the San Antonio Spurs last season, he averaged 8.8 points on .427/.377/.924 shooting splits, 7.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals a night. Related: Report: Clippers 'Weighing' a Move for 12-Time NBA All-Star This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
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Chris Paul is a 'natural fit' for Clippers as reserve point guard
Chris Paul spent six seasons with the Clippers and was a part of their "Lob City" era. (Carrie Giordano / Associated Press) The Clippers had a need for a playmaker and ballhandler, and they were able to find that 'natural fit' with Chris Paul. Paul spent six seasons with the Clippers, a time when he had plenty of success leading them to relevancy and now he's back to play his 21st season, which might be his last. Advertisement Paul, 40, a 12-time All-Star, agreed to a contract that will pay him $3.6 million next season. 'Chris was a natural fit,' Lawrence Frank, the Clippers' president of basketball operations, said over Zoom on Tuesday. 'His roots with the organization are deep and meaningful. He obviously played a tremendous role in the upward trajectory of the franchise. He wanted to return to the Clippers and we wanted it the same, as long as it made sense with our current roster — and it does.' Paul has spent his entire 20-year career as a starter in the NBA, playing in all 82 games last season with the San Antonio Spurs. He averaged 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 28 minutes per game while shooting 42.7% from the field. Over the course of playing in 1,354 regular-season games, Paul has started in 1,314. Advertisement Read more: Clippers to land Bradley Beal after Suns buy out his contract Frank said Paul will 'slot into our roster as a reserve point guard,' a role the two of them discussed. 'So, we don't take that lightly when you're taking on a different role,' Frank said. 'And so there were a lot of conversations. You put everything on the table and get everyone comfortable with it. But the fact that Chris wanted to come back, wanted to be at home, wanted to be with the Clippers, we obviously know what his skill set is, but we also wanted to make sure the role made perfect sense from both people's perspective. 'And so I thought it was a very, very thorough process in terms of how we went about it, just to make sure that everyone knows exactly what we're signing up for and we feel really, really good about it.' Advertisement Playing time also could be tricky at the guard spot with Paul now on board. James Harden, who averaged 35.3 minutes per game last season, and Bradley Beal are the likely starters in the backcourt for Clippers coach Tyronn Lue. Then there is Kris Dunn, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Paul who could be in the rotation. 'We know that ballhandling was a little bit of an issue for us last year and we wanted to get … Chris was the best guy for the job as long as everyone understood exactly what the role was and we can all embrace it,' Frank said. 'And so, we've been very, very honest and direct and we feel great that Chris is back.' Frank said Harden played a big role in the team acquiring Beal. Frank was asked if Harden talked to Paul about returning to the Clippers. Harden and Paul played two seasons together in Houston, from 2017 to 2019, and there were reports that their relationship was strained. Advertisement Frank said, 'They did.' when asked if Harden and Paul had talked. 'And when talking to James, talking to Kawhi [Leonard] — and we talked about what the role would be — both guys said CP would be the best guy for this role,' Frank said. Paul and Beal have both worn No. 3 their entire careers. But Frank said Beal will let Paul wear No. 3 and decide later what his new number will be. 'So, it's awesome that Brad made such a great gesture like that,' Frank said. 'And so Chris will be No. 3.' During his six seasons with the Clippers, from 2011 until 2017, Paul helped the franchise reach new heights. He joined Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to form 'Lob City.' Advertisement But it sounds as if this will be Paul's last season in the NBA and it'll be with the Clippers and it'll allow him to play in front of his family that lives in the Los Angeles area. 'Well, I think there's the nostalgic aspect,' Frank said. 'But I think the No. 1 question that we always say, is how can he help impact winning? … And yeah, look, there's the heartstrings part of it, of someone who was such a significant part of the Clippers' rise to be able to bring it back. Whether this is his last year or not, that's obviously Chris' story in terms of what he feels and what he wants. But I think No. 1 is his ability to help impact winning.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
a day ago
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Bradley Beal's unexpected gift to Chris Paul: A number with meaning
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Paul will be wearing his No. 3 jersey in his return to the Los Angeles Clippers. Newly acquired Bradley Beal has agreed to give Paul the number that Beal has worn his entire NBA career, according to Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations. Advertisement 'Once Brad heard it's a possibility Chris was coming he said, 'I want to give him my number,' and I don't even think Chris knows this yet,' Frank said Tuesday on a teleconference call. 'It's awesome that Brad made such a great gesture like that.' Frank said Beal understands what the jersey number means to Paul, who is widely known by his nickname 'CP3.' Paul played last season in San Antonio and forward Keldon Johnson gave up wearing No. 3 so Paul could have it. Paul has worn the number since he entered the NBA in 2005. Beal has yet to decide what number he'll wear for the upcoming season, Frank said. Advertisement Paul, a free agent, signed with the Clippers for what is expected to be his 21st and final NBA season, citing a desire to return to Los Angeles where his family lives. He played 82 games for the Spurs, but will come off the bench for the Clippers. 'Chris was the best guy for the job as long as we all understand what the role is," Frank said. 'There will be nights Chris plays a lot and there will be nights he does not.' ___ AP NBA: Beth Harris, The Associated Press
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bradley Beal's unexpected gift to Chris Paul: A number with meaning
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Paul will be wearing his No. 3 jersey in his return to the Los Angeles Clippers. Newly acquired Bradley Beal has agreed to give Paul the number that Beal has worn his entire NBA career, according to Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations. 'Once Brad heard it's a possibility Chris was coming he said, 'I want to give him my number,' and I don't even think Chris knows this yet,' Frank said Tuesday on a teleconference call. 'It's awesome that Brad made such a great gesture like that.' Frank said Beal understands what the jersey number means to Paul, who is widely known by his nickname 'CP3.' Paul played last season in San Antonio and forward Keldon Johnson gave up wearing No. 3 so Paul could have it. Paul has worn the number since he entered the NBA in 2005. Beal has yet to decide what number he'll wear for the upcoming season, Frank said. Paul, a free agent, signed with the Clippers for what is expected to be his 21st and final NBA season, citing a desire to return to Los Angeles where his family lives. He played 82 games for the Spurs, but will come off the bench for the Clippers. 'Chris was the best guy for the job as long as we all understand what the role is," Frank said. 'There will be nights Chris plays a lot and there will be nights he does not.' ___ AP NBA:
