ATLANTA — In a shocking development, the LA Clippers informed Chris Paul early Wednesday morning that he is no longer with the team and instructed him to return home from the current road trip.
Paul, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in franchise history, shared the news himself on Instagram shortly before 3 a.m. ET, revealing he had just been told to fly back to Los Angeles instead of suiting up for Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.
Moments later, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank confirmed the decision in a statement to ESPN:
“We have decided to part ways with Chris, and he will no longer be with the team. We will work with him on the next chapter of his career.
Chris is a legendary Clipper with a historic career. To be clear: no one is pointing the finger at Chris for our struggles. I take full responsibility for our record. There are many reasons we haven’t performed well this season, and we are deeply grateful for everything Chris has meant to this franchise.”
The Clippers (5-16) have dropped 14 of their last 16 games and are riding a five-game losing streak. They also lost offseason acquisition Bradley Beal to a season-ending hip injury in early November.
To officially separate from the 40-year-old Paul, Los Angeles will need to waive him (and pay out the remaining $3.6 million on his one-year contract), negotiate a buyout, or explore a trade — which cannot happen until December 15.
Paul had signed with the Clippers in late July for what was expected to be a ceremonial final season with the franchise where he played his prime years from 2011 to 2017. Sources told ESPN last month that the 21-year veteran plans to retire at the end of this season.
Chris Paul posted an Instagram story a little before 3 a.m. ET Wednesday saying the Clippers were sending him home from their road trip. The Clippers later confirmed that Paul was no longer part of the team.
Paul leaves as the Clippers’ all-time leader in assists and steals per game. Over his 21-year NBA career, he had started 1,314 of 1,354 games—including all 82 last season with San Antonio—but accepted a reserve role in Los Angeles this year, knowing some nights he might not play at all.
In 16 appearances off the bench, the 40-year-old averaged 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in 14.3 minutes. His final game in a Clippers uniform came Monday in Miami, where he scored eight points with three assists in 15 minutes during a 140-123 loss.
This marks the second time the Clippers have parted ways unceremoniously with a cornerstone of the Lob City era. Blake Griffin, after signing a five-year, $171 million extension in July 2017, was traded to Detroit less than seven months later once the franchise shifted direction.
