Jeff Van Gundy Brutally Told Off Chris Paul He Doesn’t Have “Leeway” After Making Kawhi Leonard Switch Off Klay Thompson

The LA Clippers made a major move on Wednesday, releasing Chris Paul from the roster. The decision reportedly came after assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy told off Paul following the Clippers' loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Van Gundy allegedly confronted Paul following the game, telling him he didn’t have the “leeway” to make decisions after Paul instructed Kawhi Leonard to switch off Klay Thompson on defense.

NBA insider Chris Haynes shed light on the situation on Friday, offering details on what actually happened.

"That occurred from a game against the Dallas Mavericks," Haynes said. "Sources told me that when he (Leonard) was guarding Klay Thompson, he was struggling when he got into the game ... and so there was a timeout called ."

"During that time out, Chris Paul went up to Kawhi Leonard and said 'Hey man, are you fresh enough? You feel good? You feel like you can stick with Klay Thompson and ask his teammates, 'hey, maybe you wanna switch this.'"

Continuing, Haynes added that Van Gundy was unhappy with Paul taking charge, telling him he didn’t have the “leeway” to make such decisions.

"I was told that Jeff Van Gundy told Chris Paul 'Listen you might’ve had leeway in other places to change up defensive coverages, but you don’t have that leeway here,'" Haynes explained.

After the exchange, Chris Paul appeared to fire back on Instagram, posting the definition of “leeway” on his story. Just days later, the Clippers released him, abruptly ending his return to the franchise after rejoining the team in July.

Chris Paul admits he feels “scarred” after sudden Clippers departure

NBA icon Chris Paul's second stint with the LA Clippers came to a sudden halt on Wednesday. While traveling with the team, the veteran guard was sent home from Georgia ahead of the Clippers’ matchup against the Atlanta Hawks.

Paul opened up on his departure from the team to Chris Haynes on Friday, claiming he was scarred" by the sudden exit.

"I'm just staying ready. I'm hooping right now. I don't (know) what's next. I'm still scarred by it all. Still processing everything. But I'm staying ready," Paul reportedly told Chris Haynes.

Reportedly, in his final NBA season, Chris Paul’s return to the Clippers was meant to be a full-circle moment. Instead, it ended abruptly, leaving the veteran searching for a new team midway through the season.