Chris Paul retired from the NBA on Friday after 21 seasons, and The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported that broadcasting could be his next move. ESPN would be considered the favorite if Paul pursues television work, according to Marchand, though NBC and Amazon Prime Video could also show interest.
Paul announced his retirement on Friday morning after the Toronto Raptors waived him. The Clippers traded him to Toronto on Feb. 4 after a disastrous stretch, sending him home in early December amid the worst statistical output of his storied career, which will eventually land him in the Hall of Fame.
He’s 40 years old, a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, and the second all-time leader in assists and steals behind John Stockton. He never won a championship despite playing in the 2021 Finals with the Phoenix Suns, and his career ended unceremoniously with the Clippers. That’s not the exit anyone wanted for ‘Point God,’ but it means Paul is available to start broadcasting immediately rather than finishing out the season elsewhere.
Marchand noted in his report that Paul has previously worked on ABC/ESPN’s NBA coverage and has a close relationship with outgoing Disney CEO Bob Iger. Paul worked as a guest analyst on ESPN’s NBA Countdown during the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals, and he’s appeared on various ESPN programming over the years.
The timing works for ESPN if the network wants to make a serious push for Paul. The network has Inside the NBA as its top pregame show after acquiring the Turner production when Warner Bros. Discovery lost NBA rights, but Marchand pointed out that doesn’t necessarily eliminate ESPN’s need for Paul. The network just switched up its lead game team again, adding Tim Legler to Mike Breen and Richard Jefferson for The Finals, the latest change to a booth that’s been in constant flux since 2023.
ESPN fired Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson following the 2023 Finals and hasn’t found stability since. Doris Burke and Doc Rivers called the 2024 Finals before Rivers left to coach the Milwaukee Bucks. JJ Redick replaced Rivers and played in the 2024 Finals before taking the Lakers’ head coaching job. Richard Jefferson stepped in for the 2025 season alongside Burke and Breen, and then ESPN replaced Burke with Legler for the 2026 Finals.
What role Paul would fill at ESPN remains unclear. Marchand noted the network has so much NBA programming between Inside the NBA, NBA Countdown, and its game coverage that it can always find a spot for someone like Paul.
Awful Announcing predicted in December that Paul would join ESPN full-time in 2026 and work his way into the Finals booth by the playoffs. That was speculation at the time, but Marchand’s reporting Friday suggests the broadcasting transition is happening sooner than later. Where Paul ends up and what he does there will shape ESPN’s NBA coverage for years if he decides broadcasting is what comes next, especially if the network is serious about finally finding stability in the booth alongside Mike Breen.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.