Chris Paul’s time with the Los Angeles Clippers is over. Tyronn Lue’s job, meanwhile, appears to be safe amid the turmoil and a 5-16 start to the season.
Paul was sent home by the franchise late Tuesday night in the middle of its five-game road trip.
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Paul revealed the news on Instagram. The Clippers are in Atlanta ahead of a game against the Hawks on Wednesday night.
“Just found out I’m being sent home,” Paul wrote on Instagram, with no further details about his release.
The Clippers then announced Wednesday morning they had released Paul.
“We are parting ways with Chris and he will no longer be with the team,” Clippers president Lawrence Frank said via a statement. “We will work with him on the next step of his career.
“Chris is a legendary Clipper who 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 Shams Charania, Paul’s leadership style “clashed” with the team, and he had not spoken to Lue “for several weeks.” Per NBA Insider Chris Haynes, Paul had requested a meeting with Lue to discuss the perception he was a negative presence on the team, and Lue refused to meet with him.
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Frank met with reporters later Wednesday to discuss Paul’s release and Lue’s job security. Per Clippers reporter Justin Russo, Frank said that he held a three-hour meeting with Paul before Paul was released.
“Chris has a very good leadership style. He’s led a lot of teams,” Frank said. … “Some moves you make, roster moves you make, you have great intentions. Some work and some don’t. I own that. This one just didn’t work at this time.”
Frank gives vote of confidence to Ty Lue
As for Lue, Frank called him “one of the best coaches in the league” while acknowledging the poor start to the Clippers’ season. He reiterated that the responsibility of turning the team around “starts with me.”
“Right now, we’re playing bad basketball,” Frank said. “On both ends, we’re a bad basketball team. … The improvement starts with me. I put together the roster. [Lue] is my partner. He’s a hell of a coach. He’s gonna continue to be the coach here for a long time.”
What’s next for Paul?
Paul is in his 21st season in the league, and he already announced it will be his last. He struck a one-year, $3.6 million deal with the Clippers this past offseason, reuniting with the franchise he spent six seasons with earlier in his career. That move to return to Los Angeles, he said at the time, was a “no-brainer.”
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Paul has played for seven franchises throughout his career and is a 12-time All-Star. He’s led the league in assists five times and led the league in steals six times. While he’s not won an NBA championship, there is no doubt Paul is a future Hall of Famer and one of the best point guards to ever play in the league.
The 40-year-old has averaged 2.9 points and 3.3 assists per game this season while coming off the bench consistently for just the second time in his career. He had eight points and three assists in 15 minutes off the bench Monday night in the Clippers’ loss to the Miami Heat.
The Clippers are clearly looking to shake things up amid the poor start, which includes a five-game losing streak. The final few months of Paul’s career after this sudden split with the Clippers, however, is suddenly in jeopardy.
