The Raptors have waived veteran point guard Chris Paul, the team announced today.
Toronto acquired Paul from the Clippers at last week’s trade deadline in a financially motivated deal. There was never an expectation that CP3 would suit up for the Raptors, so it was just a matter of time before this transaction occurred.
After spending last season in San Antonio and starting all 82 regular season games for the Spurs, Paul sought a team in free agency last offseason that would allow him to stay close to home in Los Angeles. He eventually came to terms with the Clippers on a one-year, minimum-salary agreement.
However, the future Hall-of-Famer’s 21st NBA season didn’t play out as planned. There was reportedly some tension over his limited role and his “abrasive” locker-room presence. With the Clippers off to a dismal start to the season, they announced in early December that they were “parting ways” with Paul, who would remain on the roster but would no longer be around the team.
L.A. didn’t want to waive Paul, since it would mean eating his guaranteed salary and leaving his $2.3MM cap hit on the team’s books, compromising the front office’s ability to make additional moves around the edges of the roster. Eventually, the Clippers got involved in a three-team deadline deal with the Raptors and Nets that allowed them to move off Paul’s minimum-salary contract while Toronto shed Ochai Agbaji‘s expiring $6.4MM salary in order to duck out of luxury tax territory.
Waiving Paul will create an open spot on the Raptors’ 15-man roster, with no urgency to fill it until at least the end of the All-Star break — and perhaps even later than that. Toronto will have the option of perusing the buyout market for a veteran free agent or perhaps elevating a two-way player like Alijah Martin to the standard roster.
As for Paul, he’ll clear waivers on Sunday, but his NBA career will come to an end here. The 40-year-old announced shortly after being waived by Toronto that he has decided to retire. Our full story on that announcement can be found here.
Coach Paul. Only a matter of time.
Who had the better Raptors career, CP3 or Alonzo Mourning?
curious to see where he goes
Nuggets would be a good fit.
I hope CP3 can get on a team that would actually value him. If not it would be a rough end to his career. I don’t think he deserves to fall out like that
It’s actually exactly what he deserves. If he wanted to go out with a farewell tour he should have done it before his drastic decline. This is what happens when you wait too long to hang em up. I have nothing against Paul at all, he was a great player and will go down as such, this is merely a comment on how players choose to end their careers.
Would he have given up money to get his freedom? I guess not?
But why did they wait a week then? Because they tried?