Chris Paul is technically still a member of the Clippers. The veteran point guard won’t become trade-eligible until December 15, and waiving him now would result in roster- and cap-related complications for an L.A. team that has less than $1.3MM in breathing room below its hard cap.
However, Paul has played his last game for the Clippers, who announced overnight on Tuesday that they’re “parting ways” with the 40-year-old. The surprising news came less than two weeks after Paul confirmed that the 2025/26 season would be his last as an NBA player.
This wasn’t how Paul envisioned his career coming to an end and it’s not how he wants to go out. Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Today on Thursday, Marc J. Spears of Andscape confirmed as much (Twitter video link).
“So, the big question: Does he want to retire? Is he done? I was told absolutely not,” Spears said. “He does want to play.”
Still, finding a logical landing spot for the 21-year veteran will be much more difficult now than it would have been a decade or two ago.
Paul’s performance dropped off a cliff this fall after he started all 82 games for the Spurs last season. He averaged 14.3 minutes per game in 16 outings for the Clippers, posting career-low averages of 2.9 points and 3.3 assists with a brutal .321/.333/.500 shooting line.
There are respected veterans who barely play at all occupying 14th or 15th roster spots around the NBA due to their impact in the locker room, but Paul isn’t the sort of player who would be a positive presence in any situation. Reporting in the wake of his divorce with the Clippers suggested that teammates and others within the organization had tired of his “acerbic” and “disparaging” feedback behind the scenes, which came off as “grating” and unhelpful in a veteran locker room.
“You have to have a unique situation to (bring in Paul),” one league executive told Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. “You’ve got to be a team that thinks, ‘Hey, man, we’re one guy away. We can deal with the other stuff that comes with it.’ Your team has to have strong internal discipline already. You’ve got to be able to accept the whole CP3 experience.”
Paul’s outspoken style of leadership is “part of what you get with him,” but might be more welcome in the right situation, especially if he can contribute a little more on the court than he did as a Clipper, another front office source told Bulpett.
“We looked at him after all this came down, but it wasn’t a long discussion,” that source said. “I could actually see him fitting with a team in the East, because that’s so wide open. I think he could help a team like Orlando or maybe Detroit, where he could take some of the pressure off Cade (Cunningham).
“But you have to first figure out whether you’re even able to get him with your cap situation and what you’d have to do with your roster to bring him in. Then you have to look at what you have for chemistry and all that — how strong your coaching situation is, how the players would react to another strong voice. We have a guy who played with him who I think put it best: ‘Chris Paul is an acquired taste.’ He’s not everybody’s cup of tea.”
Outside of the personality-, roster-, and cap-related challenges involved in finding a new destination for Paul, there’s also the matter of how many different situations he would be open to. During the offseason, he chose the Clippers in large part because he wanted to be close to his family in Los Angeles. Would CP3 consider an East Coast team? According to Spears, he was told that Paul will “cross that bridge when he gets there.”
We want to know what you think. Do you think Paul could still be a valuable addition to a roster in his final NBA season? If so, what team would be the best fit for him? Will the Clippers be able to make a trade, or will they have to waive Paul and eat his guaranteed minimum salary?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
He’s toast. He can still distribute the ball some but you can’t have him as a backup PG with those shooting averages even if he did agree to keep his yap shut.
SMH tired of all these reporters on TV complaining about him getting released. face it he is over 40 and can no longer keep up with younger players.
You know that is not the true reason, why his not playing. Clippers sent him home cause of the conflict about him and the staff.
CP doesn’t look as sharp this year. the decline in his game is huge. I am not sure what his beef is with Lue but Lue is a good coach.
San Antonio
Spare me the foreclosure to believing a guy who put up the numbers he did in SAS for a full season so suddenly has hit a wall. The more reasonable explanation is that, yeah, he didn’t start the season hot, but there were some peripheral reasons contributing to the situation that have now come to light… and yes, for the a situation that does exist out there (such as in Atlanta), he would make not only for a solid backup game manager that makes everyone else better, but would represent a sage to the locker room that often characterizes teams looking to make a legit attempt to contend in post season.
When the Giannis and AR15 deal is finalized Lakers will a 3rd ball handler CP can still fill that role
The sad thing is that trade would work out better for Milwaukee than the Luka trade will for Dallas.
Not happening.
Dream away my guy. Salary alone doesn’t work. You would have to gut the team to get Giannis
He’s old and a shell of himself but I’d imagine with the proper team he’s still gonna give some value in some way.
“PAUL’s performance dropped off a CLIFF….”
Pun intended?
he is done except for maybe 15 minutes a game to rest a starting point guard
Generally, putting aside team fit, CP3 is worth a light rotation spot on a contender if he can still defend his position, and, of course, is willing to accept that light rotation spot.
CP3 was, in his prime, and for a good portion of his post prime, a plus defender. He wouldn’t need to be a plus defender any longer for me to have interest, but, because of the other things that come along with being an older guy (including periodic injuries, inevitable, and being high maintenance), he can’t be a negative there.
I couldn’t care less about his offensive numbers with the LAC. As long as he’s fit, I am confident that an offensive role could be carved out for him in which he could help the team win. In the modern NBA, offense ain’t that hard, and guys don’t get retired due to offensive decay.
Maybe State Farm will resign him.
Offer Poole, Looney and three 2nds to Orlando for Desmond Bane
Offer Bey and a pick for Andre Drummond
Sign Chris Paul
Queen to PF
The locker room risk is huge, but financially the following makes sense:
OKC takes on Chris Paul and sends out Dieng: expiring, not playing much, not staying since they need to make room for first round picks. They dont have incentive sign and trade him. Basically he only has value now. They also reduce salary and could still waive or trade Paul if the rest of the team does not like him.
Most importantly: they should do it if they can secure at least a pick swap on the Clippers FRP. Really double down on the Clippers turning sour basically…
Clippers get Dieng and Kispert for Bogdanovic and Kobe Brown
Washington sends out Kispert for Bogdanovic and Brown, needs to waive one player or include another team.
I think OKC for Dieng in some multi team trade makes the most sense. I think most other teams that can use him will just wait for him to be released
It’s sad all the top PGs of my youth, Russ, John wall, Iverson, Arenas, Kemba,Rondo etc. struggle to find teams late in their career.
paperclips did him a favor .. but it’s over .. retirement tour has been cancelled
link to yardbarker.com
CP3 is going to HOF one day. Can he still play ?? Really up to the team to decide that. Clippers should have been his last team. So you have to wonder what went wrong there. I know Harden ran him out of Houston.
link to yardbarker.com
Portland. So that we can finally have him since we passed him up to draft Martell Webster