Paul hasn t found his next home for a long time? He is unwilling to play as a substitute or accepts basic salary

On July 4, Chris Paul's career has reached a delicate crossroads. The point guard master, who was selected as the All-Star 12 times, won the assist king for 5 times, and won the six steal kings, became one of the most eye-catching "unemployed" stars in the free agent market in the summer of 2025. When other players of the same age choose to retire or accept role player positioning, Paul still adheres to his principles - refusing to replace the role and rejecting the basic salary contract. This persistence has put the veteran who is about to turn 40 into an embarrassing situation and has also triggered in-depth discussions on how to make a decision at the end of his career.

Judging from the data, Paul still maintained a very good competitive state with the Warriors last season. During his 26.4 minutes of playing time, he was able to contribute 9.2 points, 6.8 assists and 1.2 steals, with a three-point shooting percentage of 37.1%. These numbers show that he still has the ability to gain a foothold in the NBA, but the problem is that there are two key messages behind these numbers: playing time is a career low and scoring is the lowest except for rookie seasons. More notably, when Paul was present, the Warriors had a net efficiency of +3.5, and when he left the field, the number plummeted to -1.8. This influence is in stark contrast to his salary expectations - Paul's team insists on seeking a middle-class contract with an annual salary of no less than $10 million, a luxury for most championship teams. The Lakers were once considered one of Paul's potential next homes. The friendship between LeBron James and Paul is well known, and the two have expressed their desire to fight side by side many times. However, the Lakers' salary structure is already quite tight, and they prefer to sign young and dynamic defenders with basic salary rather than spending the middle class exception on a 40-year-old veteran. The Clippers also briefly considered welcoming back this former core, but in the end they chose a more cost-effective option. The Suns made it clear that their backcourt is saturated and there is no need to add a veteran point guard who needs a lot of ball holding. These realities make Paul's situation even more difficult.

In-depth analysis of Paul's psychological factors that insist on not playing as a substitute, we can see the self-esteem and pride of a top competitor. Throughout Paul's 19-year career, he has never played in any game as a substitute. This record of 1,363 consecutive starts (as of the 2024-25 season) is extremely rare in NBA history. For a player who is used to controlling the pace of the game and decides the outcome at critical moments, accepting a substitute role means a denial of his entire career. As a team executive who asked not to be named said: "Chris still believes that he can influence the game. He believes that he deserves more than 25 minutes of high-quality playing time, rather than brushing data in garbage time. The situation is also complicated in salary requirements. NBA salary expert Mark Stein pointed out: "Paul's situation is special. He is neither a complete veteran base salary player nor is he worthy of taking up the full middle class. This "middle ground" has discouraged many teams." Considering that Paul's total career salary has exceeded $450 million, money may no longer be his primary consideration. But accepting a basic salary will be considered "self-degraded" to some extent, which conflicts with his business considerations for maintaining his own market value. The commercial contracts such as sneakers, sports equipment endorsed by Paul are closely related to his position in the league. Once the basic salary is accepted, these added value may be affected.

From the perspective of team building, the demand for players like Paul is changing for championship teams. The modern NBA values ​​three-point shooting, defensive elasticity and off-ball ability, which are precisely the aspects that Paul gradually declines as he grows older. Although his organizational ability and basketball IQ are still top-notch, his speed disadvantage on the defensive end and his explosive power on the offensive end make him easily targeted in high-end games. A scout from the Western Conference admitted: "In the playoffs, the opponent will unlimitedly switch pick-and-rolls against Paul, which greatly reduces his value." This is also why championship teams like the Nuggets and Celtics would rather train young point guards than risk signing Paul.

Paul's case reminds people of the end of their careers of other super point guards. John Stockton still maintained the starting position at the age of 40, but that was within the system that the Jazz built entirely around him and Malone; Steve Nash was plagued by injuries during the Lakers, but he still contributed efficient performance in the final stages of the Suns; Jason Kidd successfully transformed into the Mavericks' championship puzzle, but that was based on his complete acceptance of role player positioning. Compared to these predecessors, Paul seemed to be stuck between the two options - neither having absolute system support like Stockton, nor willing to completely let go of his figure like Kidd.

Family factors are also within Paul's consideration. He and his wife Jada have established a stable life in Los Angeles, with all three children attending local school. This made him cautious about joining teams outside Los Angeles. Sources revealed that Paul even considered that if he couldn't find a suitable team, he might choose to temporarily rest for half a year and wait for the team to sign when there is a need for point guard in the middle of the season. Although this "waiting and watching" strategy is risky, it also reflects his firm belief in his own value.

From the perspective of business value, Paul is still one of the most influential players in the NBA. His jersey sales have always been at the forefront of point guards, with more than 30 million social media followers. When evaluating his value, the team not only needs to consider on-field contributions, but also needs to calculate the ticket revenue, broadcast attention and business cooperation opportunities he can bring. This is also why some teams in the middle stage of reconstruction, such as the Magic and the Pistons, have expressed their interest in Paul - they are not only interested in Paul's performance on the court, but also his ability to help young players grow and their own business halo.