chris paul and this LA Clippers Are parting ways,
40 year old point guard The announcement was made on Wednesday morning that he was being sent home from Atlanta to Los Angeles, where the Clippers play hawksHe signed a contract with the Clippers one year deal In July, rejoined the franchise where he played for six seasons (2011–17).
After starting all 82 games for San Antonio Spurs Last season, Paul averaged just 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in 14.3 minutes in 16 games for the Clippers, who are 5-16 and struggling badly,
Clippers can’t trade Paul till 15th decemberBut they could waive him and pay his $3.6 million salary or agree to a buyout.
What’s next for Paul and the Clippers, who lost bradley beal to a Season-ending hip injury Last month? Which teams might be interested in adding Paul for the remainder of the season? And if this is the end of his career – then he announced in november That he will retire in 2026 – how will his time in the league be remembered? ESPN reporters and analysts believe:
Jump to a question:
How much does Paul have left?
Which teams might make sense to add him?
What options do the Clippers have now??
Can LA turn its season around?
How will Paul’s career be remembered?
Why didn’t this reunion work out in LA this time?
Both parties had good intentions, but it was not right.
President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank made it clear Wednesday morning that Paul is not to blame for the Clippers losing 14 of 16 games. But frankly, if the Clippers and Paul had played, somewhat, better, the other issues causing this separation might have been more tolerable.
When the Clippers signed Paul they made it clear to them that he would play a reserve role and there would be nights when he would not be in the rotation. He wanted to stay in Los Angeles and retire with the Clippers. He missed five consecutive games last month, but then played in eight games, with his minutes fluctuating. However, nothing has gone according to plan in this disastrous season.
Paul has spent his entire career as an outspoken leader who is known for being stubborn at times. But he’s not alone in making the Clippers a 5-16 team. They look and play old. At a time when teams tend to load up on young players who play fast, they loaded up on vets with the playoffs in mind.
Beal and other key signings of the Clippers brook lopez They have not even got the expected results. Beal is out for the season and Lopez is out of the rotation. What L.A. has in mind next remains to be seen, but after just a few months the franchise is moving forward without Paul. , Om Youngmisuk
How much does Paul have left?
It was surprising that Paul couldn’t get more playing time with the Clippers this season. As a member of the Spurs in 2024–25, Paul was one of six players in the league to start all 82 games, ranked seventh in assists (7.4 per game) and had an on/off differential of plus-9.0 points per 100 possessions. cleaning glassWhich ranks in the 92nd percentile in the entire league. At 39 years old, he was certainly no longer in his prime, but he was still ranked as an average point guard, making him an ideal choice for a backup role in Los Angeles.
But Paul’s performance declined dramatically in his limited playing time this season. He shot only 32% from the field and attempted a total of two free throws in 16 games; Of the 296 players who have played at least 200 minutes this season, Paul ranks 279th in player efficiency rating and 277th in box plus/minus. The most bearish sign is that Tyronn Lue, an excellent coach, had lost faith in Paul’s ability to turn things around, even playing him less as the Clippers were having a bad season.
This doesn’t mean that Paul has nothing left, but the early returns were not promising. For years, he enjoyed a smooth, gradual decline – but in his 40s the decline has been sudden and intense. , zack cram
Which teams might be a good fit for Paul?
While his former teams–the phoenix sun And Houston Rockets – The thing that makes the most sense on paper is that there is no one ideal fit based on how the season has played out. The Suns have accomplished a lot (13-9) and have strong guard play this season Colin Gillespie And Jordan GoodwinGillespie has career averages of 13,3 points and 5 assists, In his most recent two starts, he scored a total of 52 points, Phoenix has an open roster spot, but would go further into the luxury tax, They’re already up $402,000,
The Rockets are in a similar situation, as they are not allowed to sign a 15th player until the beginning of January. Even without a starting point guard Fred VanVleetThey rank No. 1 in the league in offense. However, they have given up the 11th most turnovers of all time.
Los Angeles Lakers They have an open roster spot and may have an option next month, but they are not allowed to sign a 15th player until January 19.
In addition to those three teams, Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Denver, Miami, Minnesota, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia and Toronto have an open roster spot. However, Atlanta is not the only one that is a luxury tax or apron team. dallas mavericks Used a two-way player Ryan Nembhard Most recently at point guard. They would need to open up a roster spot to sign Paul. Due to the second apron, they also face difficulty in signing any player.
It is expected that more roster spots will open up after January 7. This is the date when teams have to make decisions with players who are on partially guaranteed contracts. , bobby marks
What options do the Clippers have to add to their roster?
The Clippers are in a holding pattern. Paul’s $3.6 million contract was guaranteed, and he is not allowed to be traded until December 15, which is the date free agents sign in the offseason.
Although they can now waive Paul and take his salary ($2.3 million will count toward the cap), they are not allowed to replace him because they are $1.3 million short of the first apron. The earliest they can sign a replacement is January 7, unless there is a separate trade to go down the apron.
More importantly: The Clippers are not allowed to have fewer than 14 players on their roster for more than 14 consecutive days. For example, if Paul is waived before December 22, he will fail to meet the minimum roster requirement. , Mark
Is there a chance for the Clippers to turn their season around?
There are some reasons to think that the Clippers’ 5-16 record overstates their shortcomings: Their 2-7 record in clutch games will probably be leveled out as the season continues, and their opponents probably won’t make 39% of their 3-pointers, the second-highest mark in the league.
But more broadly, the Clippers’ slow start doesn’t look like a temporary situation. They are 20th in offensive rating, 27th in defense and 24th in net, and their Pythagorean record – which estimates a team’s expected record based on point differential – is 7-14. Whereas kawhi leonard Has missed 10 games, they are only 3-8 when he plays while 2-8 when he doesn’t, and their other best player (james harden And ivica zubac) have missed only one game combined.
Other teams at the bottom of the Western Conference standings are also struggling: the Clippers’ Pythagorean record is better than the Kings, Pelicans and Jazz, and they are only slightly behind the Mavericks. But even if they climb above those four teams in the standings, they will still only finish 11th in the West, which wouldn’t even qualify for a play-in spot.
The Clippers are already three games out of 10th place and 5.5 games back of eighth – meaning that even in a realistic best-case scenario, they’ll have to win a few play-in games to reach the playoffs and face the juggernaut. oklahoma city thunder In the first round. , cram
If Paul isn’t selected, what will his NBA legacy be?
It’s hard to know where to start as Paul has been front and center in so many important moments in NBA history. From their inaugural year as the New Orleans Hornets moved to oklahoma city After Hurricane Katrina, for the Lakers’ trade, which was famously vetoed By NBA commissioner David Stern – while serving as owner of the Hornets – for the subsequent trade with the Clippers to create Lob City, along with Blake Griffin And deandre jordan,
Then there was the scandal with Clippers owner Donald Sterling Banned from the NBA Paul jailed for life for racist comments he made about an ex-mistress there wasDon’t forget Paul’s work Establishment of the NBA Bubble During the 2020 season. Or his impressive tenure as president of the NBA Players Association. We could list many more and Paul may tell those stories himself one day as he has already begun to break into the media world.
But his basketball legacy may be one of the last true point guards. At his peak, he was nicknamed The Point God due to his positional mastery, ability to run the game, and statistical brilliance.
However, the game has changed fundamentally over the past few decades. Point-guard skills are found at every position. center like Nikola Jokic or further like luka doncic Control games like Paul. Current MVP, Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderJoe counts Paul as a friend and mentor, something of a hybrid guard who can run and attack as well as score. Paul is a true point guard John Stockton Or isiah thomas Or jason kiddHe would finish his career trailing only Stockton in career assists, And among players 6 feet or shorter, he ranks first in career assists, steals and rebounds, , ramona shelburne
