Chris Paul and the LA Clippers are parting ways.
The 40-year-old guard announced Wednesday morning that he was being sent home to Los Angeles from Atlanta, where the Clippers are playing the Hawks. He had signed a one-year contract with the Clippers in July, reuniting with the franchise where he played six seasons (2011-17). He had not spoken to coach Ty Lue for several weeks, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.
After starting all 82 games for the San Antonio Spurs last season, Paul has averaged just 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in 14.3 minutes in 16 games for the Clippers, who are 5-16 and struggling.
The Clippers can't trade Paul until Dec. 15, but they could waive him and pay him his $3.6 million salary or accept a buyout.
What's next for Paul and the Clippers, who lost Bradley Beal to a season-ending hip injury last month? Which teams might be interested in signing Paul for the rest of the season? And if this is the end of his career (he announced in November that he would retire in 2026), how will his time in the league be remembered? ESPN reporters and analysts say:
Jump to a question:
How much does Pablo have left?
What teams would make sense to incorporate it?
What are the Clippers' options now?
Can Los Angeles turn its season around?
How will Paul's career be remembered?
Why didn't this meeting work out in Los Angeles this time?
Both sides meant well, but this just didn't add up.
President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank made it clear Wednesday morning that Paul is not blamed for the Clippers' losing 14 of 16 games. But clearly, if the Clippers and Paul, to a lesser extent, had played better, any further issues leading up to this split likely would have been more tolerable.
The Clippers made it clear to Paul when they signed him that he would play a reserve role and that there would be nights when he wouldn't be in the rotation. He wanted to stay in Los Angeles and retire with the Clippers. He didn't play in five straight games last month, but then played in the next eight games with his minutes fluctuating. However, nothing has gone as planned in what has been a disastrous season.
Paul has spent his entire career as an outspoken leader known for being stubborn at times. But he's not alone in what has turned the Clippers into a 5-16 team. They look and play old. In an era when teams tend to rely on younger players who play fast, they turned to veterans with the playoffs in mind.
The Clippers' other key signings, Beal and Brook López, have also not produced the results they expected. Beal is out for the season and Lopez has fallen out of the rotation. It remains to be seen what Los Angeles has in mind next, but the franchise is moving forward without Paul after just a few months. — Ohm Youngmisuk
How much does Pablo have left?
It was a surprise that Paul wasn't able to get more playing time with the Clippers this season. As a member of the Spurs in 2024-25, Paul was one of six players in the league to start all 82 games. That season he ranked seventh in assists (7.4 per game) and had an on/off differential of more than 9.0 points per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass, which ranked in the 92nd percentile league-wide. At 39 years old, he was definitely past his prime, but he still ranked as an average point guard, which seemed to make him an ideal fit for a backup role in Los Angeles.
But Paul's performance declined dramatically in his limited time this season. He shot only 32% from the field and attempted two free throws in 16 games; Of 296 players with at least 200 minutes played this season, Paul ranks 279th in player efficiency rating and 277th in box plus/minus. The most pessimistic sign of all is that Tyronn Lue, an excellent coach, seemed to lose faith in Paul's ability to turn things around, playing him less even as the Clippers' season went poorly.
That doesn't necessarily mean Paul has nothing left, but the early returns weren't promising. For years, he enjoyed a gentle, gradual decline, but the decline in his age-40 season has been sudden and steep. — Zach Kram
Which teams make sense as landing spots for Paul?
While his former teams, the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, make the most sense on paper, neither of them are an ideal fit based on how the season has played out. The Suns have overachieved (13-9) and have gotten strong guard play this season from Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin. Gillespie is averaging 13.3 points and a career-high 5.0 assists. In his two recent starts, he combined for 52 points. Phoenix has an open spot on the roster, but it would go beyond the luxury tax. They are already $402,000 higher.
The Rockets are in a similar position, as they are not allowed to sign a 15th player until early January. Even without starting point guard Fred VanVleet, they rank number one in the league in offense. However, they have so far lost eleventh place.
The Los Angeles Lakers have an open roster spot and could be an option next month, but they are not allowed to sign a No. 15 player until January 19.
In addition to those three teams, Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Denver, Miami, Minnesota, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia and Toronto each have one open roster spot. However, only Atlanta is neither a luxury tax nor an apron team. The Dallas Mavericks have recently used two-way player Ryan Nembhard at point guard. They would need to open up a spot on the roster to sign Paul. They are also paralyzed when it comes to signing a player because of the second apron.
Expect more roster spots to open up after January 7th. That's the date teams have to make a decision on players who have partially guaranteed contracts. — bobby brands
What are the Clippers' options to add to their roster?
The Clippers are in a holding pattern. Paul's $3.6 million contract was guaranteed and he is not allowed to be traded until Dec. 15, which is the date free agents signed in the offseason can be traded.
While they can waive Paul now and take on his salary ($2.3 million would count against the salary cap), they are not allowed to replace him because they are $1.3 million short of the first apron. The earliest they can sign a replacement is Jan. 7, unless there is a separate trade that falls further down the apron.
More importantly, the Clippers are not allowed to have fewer than 14 players on their roster for more than 14 consecutive days. For example, if Paul is waived before December 22, they will not meet the minimum roster requirement. — brands
Is there any chance the Clippers turn their season around?
There are a couple of reasons to think the Clippers' 5-16 record exaggerates their shortcomings: Their 2-7 record in decisive games will likely level out as the season goes on, and their opponents probably won't continue to make 39% of their 3-pointers, the second-highest mark in the league.
But more broadly, the Clippers' slow start doesn't seem like a fluke. They rank 20th in offensive rating, 27th in defense and 24th in net rating, and their Pythagorean record (which estimates a team's expected record based on point differential) is 7-14. While Kawhi Leonard has missed 10 games, the Clippers are just 3-8 when he plays versus 2-8 when he doesn't, and their other best players (James Harden and Ivica Zubac) have missed just one game combined.
Other teams at the bottom of the Western Conference standings are also struggling: The Clippers have a better Pythagorean record than the Kings, Pelicans and Jazz, and are only slightly behind the Mavericks. But even if they beat those four teams in the standings, they would still be 11th in the West, which wouldn't even qualify for a play-in spot.
The Clippers are already three games back of 10th place and 5½ games back of eighth, meaning that even in a realistic best-case scenario, they would have to win a couple of play-in games just to make the playoffs and face the juggernaut Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. — kram
If Paul is not chosen, what will be his legacy in the NBA?
It's hard to know where to start because Paul has been front and center for many important moments in NBA history. From his rookie year, when the New Orleans Hornets moved to Oklahoma City after Hurricane Katrina, to the trade to the Lakers, which was vetoed by NBA commissioner David Stern as owner of the Hornets, and the subsequent trade to the Clippers to form Lob City, along with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
Then there was the scandal with Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was banned from the NBA for life for racist comments made to a former personal assistant while Paul was with the team. Don't forget Paul's work setting up the NBA Bubble during the 2020 season. Or his impactful career as president of the NBA Players Association. There are more we could list, and Paul could tell those stories himself one day, as he has already begun to enter the world of media.
But his basketball legacy could end up being one of the last true point guards. In his prime, he was nicknamed The Point God due to his command of the position, his ability to direct the game and his statistical brilliance.
However, the game has changed radically in recent decades. The point guard's skills are found in all positions. Centers like Nikola Jokic or forwards like Luka Doncic now control the games like Paul did. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who counts Paul as a friend and mentor, is more of a hybrid guard who can score and run an offense. Paul is a true point guard in the mold of John Stockton, Isiah Thomas or Jason Kidd. He will finish his career behind only Stockton in assists. And among players 6 feet or shorter, he ranks first in career assists, steals and rebounds. — Ramona Shelburne
