TWELVE-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul is set to return to the Los Angeles Clippers for his 21st season after agreeing to a one-year, $3.6 million deal, according to a report by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Paul, 40, previously played for the Clippers from 2011 to 2017, leading the team to at least 51 wins in five of his six seasons there.
During his first stint in Los Angeles, Paul was named an All-Star five times and remains the franchise’s all-time leader in assists (4,023) and steals per game (2.2).
Paul, an 11-time All-NBA selection, including four first-team nods, has averaged 17.0 points, 9.2 assists, and 2.5 rebounds throughout his Hall of Fame-caliber career. He ranks second all-time in steals (2,717), behind only John Stockton (3,265).
Paul joins a retooled Clippers roster that has also added Bradley Beal, John Collins, and Brook Lopez in free agency. He last played for the San Antonio Spurs during the 2024-25 season.
Meanwhile, Japanese point guard Yuki Kawamura has signed with Chicago Bulls after an impressive showing at the NBA Las Vegas Summer League, the team announced.
The 24-year-old guard, who made his NBA debut last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, averaged 10.2 points, 6.2 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.2 steals across five Summer League games.
Kawamura’s 31 assists were the most on the Bulls’ squad and the second-most by any Bulls Summer League player since 2013. He was also one of only three players in the tournament to average at least six assists and two steals per game.
Last season, Kawamura appeared in 22 games for Memphis, posting 1.6 points and 0.9 assists per game, with a standout performance of 12 points, five rebounds, and five assists against the Dallas Mavericks on April 13.
Before joining the NBA, Kawamura spent five seasons in Japan’s B.League, where he averaged 16.7 points, 7.3 assists, and 3.0 rebounds while playing for San-en NeoPhoenix and Yokohama B-Corsairs, where he played alongside Gilas Pilipinas center Kai Sotto./PN
