The Los Angeles Clippers shocked the NBA world this morning when they announced that they were parting ways with Chris Paul. Given that it is his final season in the league, many expected him to have a farewell tour with the team. However, it has now been revealed that he and the organization were not seeing eye to eye, and that he had not spoken to head coach Tyronn Lue in several weeks.
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After releasing Paul, the Clippers put out a statement. It was written to the public, who were furious, to address the move. But was it genuine and did it make sense? Not according to many.
In this statement, the Clippers sounded very thankful to have Paul on the team. “We are parting ways with Chris [Paul] and he will no longer be with the team,” it began.
“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… We’re grateful for the impact Chris has made on the franchise.”
Clippers statement on releasing Chris Paul: pic.twitter.com/BhtZmupjuF
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) December 3, 2025
Nice words, but fans and analysts naturally still had questions. That is why all eyes were on the Clippers’ press conference this morning, where the team addressed the move in more detail. This time, we heard from the team’s General Manager, Lawrence Frank.
Frank emphasized that the decision was not a reaction to the team’s underperformance. He also noted that bringing in Paul had ultimately not been the right fit.
“Chris has a very good leadership style. He’s led a lot of teams. And he’s led a lot of teams as being one of the best players, if not the best player on the team. It just, the role — some moves you make, you have great intentions. And some work and some don’t. And I own that. And this one just didn’t work at this time,” Frank said.
That’s all well and good. But actions speak louder than words, and Frank can’t dodge the fact that Paul’s cutting was a harsh one. The team was on the road in Atlanta, and as he said, Paul is a franchise legend. So why not wait until the team returns from the road trip?
The Clippers knew Chris Paul’s leadership style when they signed him. I asked Lawrence Frank why they felt he was a good fit, and why that changed.
Frank: “I’d like to keep some of those things in-house. Chris has a very good leadership style. He’s led a lot of teams. And he’s…
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) December 3, 2025
When analyst Stephen A. Smith got around to the news, he was appalled by the Clippers’ lack of professionalism. “How the hell do you do this to Chris Paul?” Smith questioned on First Take.
“This is a future Hall of Famer who’s come there for the last year of his career. I don’t give a damn what’s going on with the team. They’re trash right now, we understand that… That organization right now is a mess.”
The Clippers are indeed a mess right now. They have the oldest roster in NBA history, and they sit at 5-16. To make matters worse, they don’t even own their first-round pick in the next draft. That pick, they gave to the OKC Thunder in the Paul George trade.
“Don’t tell me he deserves this,” Smith continued. “You’re on a road trip in Atlanta, and you’re going to give out that bogus, BS statement? At least come home, and at least negotiate a buyout. To sit up there and to send him home like he’s some malcontent running in the streets, not knowing how to act, like he’s a cancer to this team. Lawrence Frank is more of a cancer to the team than him.”
Smith was appalled by the way the Clippers and Frank treated Paul. He could not believe they would disrespect a legend like that. He also pointed out that Frank was the one who traded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Thunder along with the draft picks in the George deal.
All in all, it is hard to disagree with Smith. What the Clippers did to Paul felt harsh. Maybe he and the front office were not seeing eye to eye, and maybe he was calling people out. But cutting him outright while the team was on the road seems excessive.
