The Los Angeles Clippers have been the most disappointing team in the NBA so far into the 2025-26 season. But as if the losses weren’t enough to turn fans off, they reached new lows following their release of franchise great Chris Paul.
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Paul had originally signed with the Clippers for his retirement season. The organization was his home for six seasons as he led the team during their ‘Lob City’ era. In that time, he quickly became the best player in the franchise’s rocky history. It seemed like a perfect ending to a great partnership. But now there will forever be a stain on their shared history.
This stain is so big that players across the league have started criticize the Clippers and their management. Among these players is 4 time NBA champion Draymond Green.
The Warriors forward, who played one season with Paul during his sole season in Golden State, didn’t hold back while talking about his feelings on the entire ordeal.
“I feel bad for [Chris Paul], who has been overly vocal about how thankful he was to be back with the Clippers. Then to see this happen at 3 in the morning on a team that’s playing awful. It’s unfortunate,” Green said on The Draymond Green Show.
Clippers president of basketball operations, Lawrence Frank, clarified that the decision is not to blame Paul for the team’s poor 6-16 record. Apparently Paul simply wasn’t a good fit.
Regardless, the way the team went about dealing with the situation wasn’t ideal. Even someone like DeMarcus Cousins, who doesn’t have the best relationship with Paul, recognizes that.
“Boogie said CP3 deserves to have his flowers. CP3 is a legend and one of the top five point guards we’ve ever seen in this league. Boogie also said I still have the s*** out of him,” Green recalled.
No matter how someone feels about Paul, the principle behind the Clippers’ actions should outrage any NBA player. That is why Cousins put his bias aside in his statement. Green even went a step further to send a message to his NBA brethren.
“I think if you’re an NBA player, this should bother you. Because that shows you what can happen to you. If that can happen to Chris Paul, imagine how bad it can get for the rest of us that aren’t to the level of Chris Paul,” Green said.
The Clippers may have done what they felt was in the best interest of their team, but it may turn out to be more negative than positive. Players keep a tab on how teams treat their stars, especially, those who were loyal to them. We may not see it immediately, but the Clippers could pay dearly for their choices in due time.
