One of our favorite players—both emotionally and sabermetrically—is Chris Paul, and today on NBA Tuesday, we’re doing our “annual” check-in column on his status in NBA history. CP3 turns 40 next week, and we’re not sure if he will play in 2025-2026, after playing last season with the San Antonio Spurs. Paul put up counting stats of 8.8 ppg and 7.4 apg while playing all 82 games for the first time since 2014-2015.

One of the keys there was his minutes management: CP3 averaged just 28 mpg despite starting all 82 contests, the lowest amount of time he’s spent on the court as a starter in his distinguished career, dating back to the 2005-2006 season. We know the Spurs are smart when it comes to managing minutes for their older stars, and this just proves it again, even if San Antonio missed the postseason action by several wins.

That certainly wasn’t Paul’s fault: he posted a better WS/48 mark than celebrated teammate Victor Wembanyama. Now we’re not saying CP3 is “better” than Wemby, but clearly he still has a lot left in his tank despite his advanced age. Yet the Spurs won 12 more games than they did the year prior without CP3, and we’re positive that Wemby’s growth and maturity would benefit from another full season with Paul.

Now, historically, CP3 is fifth all time in Win Shares, trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, and Karl Malone. His 5.7 WS last season helped him pass Michael Jordan, although he’s unlikely to catch the Mailman, who sits 19.5 WS ahead of him. Paul isn’t likely to play until he’s 45, and even if he did, the 5.7 WS he put up last season is not a pace a 40-something can keep up, even if healthy.

He also remains the top point guard on the WS/48 list, although he is hanging on to a slim lead over Magic Johnson. CP3’s value has taken a hit over the last three seasons, as his effectiveness wanes with age: 0.156 with Phoenix in 2022-2023, 0.136 with Golden State in 2023-2024, and 0.120 with the Spurs in 2024-2025. The longer he plays, obviously, he will drop below Magic on this list, unless he chooses to hang ’em up now.

And really, what is in it for Paul at this point, since his annual salary will continue to drop as well? He’s not going to making $10M-plus per season, and love for the game only goes so far at this point, too. The Spurs aren’t going to compete for a title anytime soon, either, which is CP3’s only “missing” feather in the cap. The soonest San Antonio, with Wemby fully healthy, will compete for it all would be in two or three more years.

Paul cannot hang on that long, in all likelihood. He could retire now as an all-time great, for sure. He also could keep playing, and it would not affect his legacy. Our emotional desire for him to win a title cannot override our sabermetric affection for his legacy, in the end, though. We hope CP3 retires and rides off into the sunset with the accolades he deserves: better than any other guard in the history of the NBA, value wise.

Sabermetric fact.