Gilbert Arenas Wants Chris Paul To Forgo His Retirement And Return To The NBA in 2026-27

Many around the league are unhappy with the way Chris Paul’s NBA career came to an end. Getting waived (Paul was let go by the Toronto Raptors) is unsettling for the fraternity, given the career of the veteran guard. 

Paul announced ahead of the 2025-26 season that it would be his last. He returned to the Los Angeles Clippers for his “farewell tour.” But he was shafted out rather unceremoniously by the Clippers in December, before being traded to the Raptors in February, only for them to waive him almost immediately.

A future Hall of Famer like him, who has given so much to the NBA, deserved to go out on his own terms. Gilbert Arenas took this predominant opinion from around the league to the next step, floating a possible solution, one that could require Paul to lace up his boots once again.

Arenas asked Paul to simply start training again in the summer. “Hopefully, he goes and trains this summer, he can get back on a team and have his farewell tour,” he said on Gil’s Arena podcast.

There are 30 teams in the NBA, each with different goals heading into the 2026–27 season. Paul, even at 41, would still have something to offer at least one of those franchises, particularly as a veteran presence capable of guiding a young roster. That way, he could end his career on his own terms.

Arenas was not done, though. He had a reason for suggesting that Paul shouldn’t retire now. He wants the Point God to transition into a coaching role. “Go to coaching and be the great coach he is going to be,” the former NBA All-Star added.

Gilbert Arenas says as a basketball guy he don’t want Chris Paul career to come to a end this way

“Hopefully he goes and trains this summer, he can get back on a team and have his farewell tour. Then go in to coaching and be the great coach he is going to be”

(Via… pic.twitter.com/rOy0kQE0GF

— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) February 18, 2026

Paul truly has one of the best basketball minds, so Arenas declaring him a potentially great coach doesn’t come as a surprise. He may not become a Head Coach straight away, but he can surely climb his way to the top.

In fact, Paul may get into coaching regardless of whether he comes out of retirement or not. For now, he wants to spend time with his family and has given no hint of wanting to run it back.

What happened between Paul and the Clippers?

The fallout between CP3 and the Clippers was bizarre, to say the least. He is arguably the greatest player ever to wear a Clippers jersey, yet he was still shown the door for what was, bluntly speaking, a foolish reason.

Paul revealed in an interview with Carmelo Anthony that it stemmed from the higher-ups not wanting him to offer advice to younger players. He did not directly name any individual, but the fact that a meeting between him and head coach Ty Lue could not be arranged spoke volumes.

Paul had a hands-on, veteran leadership style, and that did not sit well with many within the organization, possibly even some of the younger players. So while he was assured that his jersey would one day hang in the rafters, he was no longer wanted in the building.