The nightmare start to the 2025-26 season for the Los Angeles Clippers took another turn overnight, when veteran point guard Chris Paul revealed he was being let go by the team.
Paul, 40, who had already confirmed this would be his final year in the NBA, posted an update to his Instagram story around 3 a.m. ET Wednesday morning.
“Just Found Out I’m Being Sent Home,” it read, along with a “peace out” emoji. Paul appeared in 16 of 21 games so far this season for the Clippers, who are 5-16 on the campaign.
Clippers, Paul officially ‘parting ways’
In an official statement released this morning, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank confirmed the team is moving on.
“We are parting ways with Chris and he will no longer be with the team,” Frank said. “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.”
According to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, the Clippers have a few options for how to officially handle Paul’s exit. They can waive him and pay out his remaining $3.6 million salary, agree to a buyout or seek a trade partner, though they can’t make a deal until at least Dec. 15 due to NBA rules.
Paul’s second Clippers stint officially a failure
From 2011-17, Paul was the conductor of the Clippers’ “Lob City” era, teaming with Blake Griffin to lead the franchise to five 50-plus win seasons and six consecutive playoff appearances. He remains LA’s all-time leader in total assists and steals per game.
There was hope that bringing Paul back to the Clippers could help the team get out of the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs, where they have stalled each of the last three years. Instead, the season has imploded, with the team currently tied for the second-worst record in the West.
Paul, a shoo-in for the Basketball Hall of Fame a few years from now, averaged 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in 14.3 minutes per game for Los Angeles this year. His final appearance came Monday night in a 140-123 loss to the Miami Heat, during which Paul accounted for eight points and three assists.
