Clippers Cut Chris Paul Loose Amid Farewell Season Without Consulting Him

On Tuesday night, the LA Clippers released legendary NBA point guard Chris Paul. The potential first-ballot Hall of Famer hinted that he was as shocked as everyone else by the decision, which came in the middle of his farewell season.

"Just found out I'm being sent home," he wrote on Instagram.

(Image source: Chris Paul's Instagram)

Paul returned to his former team after eight years, hoping to pursue a championship. The Clippers were one of the favorites, too. However, they are 5-16. Paul played in 15 games, averaging 2.6 points and 3.3 assists on 30.6% shooting, including 29.6% from 3, in 14.2 minutes per game.

Clippers executive Lawrence Frank took ownership of the team's current state, clarifying that he wasn't blaming Chris Paul for the team's struggles after parting ways with the franchise legend.

"We are parting ways with Chris and he will no longer be with the team. We will work with him on the next step of his career. Chris is a legendary Clipper who has had a historic career.

"I want to make one thing very clear. No one is blaming Chris for our underperformance. I accept responsibility for the record we have right now. There are a lot of reasons why we’ve struggled. We’re grateful for the impact Chris has made on the franchise."

Insider speculates Clippers may have had financial motive to part with Chris Paul

Insider Ramona Shelburne speculated that the LA Clippers may have had financial motives behind moving on from Chris Paul. He was on the books for $2.6 million, which could have made the Clippers a luxury tax repeater.

With LA's playoff hopes diminishing with every game, it could have been one of the reasons behind the Clippers easing their financial burden.

Here's what Shelburne wrote on X:

"They’re over the luxury tax and should probably shed salary to avoid being a repeater. Obviously there’s a lot more to a move like this though"

Ramona Shelburne

@ramonashelburne

@BobbyMarks42 My best, non-as-good as @BobbyMarks42 way to explain it, is that they’re over the luxury tax and should probably shed salary to avoid being a repeater. Obviously there’s a lot more to a move like this though.

Another potential reason could be the Clippers clearing roster space for a trade in which they might acquire multiple players and would have had to waive Paul or someone else.