While this entire season has been nothing but tumultuous for the Los Angeles Clippers , things reached a new low early Wednesday morning when news broke of Chris Paul parting ways with the team.
Paul, who had signed with the Clippers for this 21st and final NBA season, was in the midst of his retirement tour when he was bizarrely and unceremoniously sent home while the team was in Atlanta , set to play the Hawks later in the day. The move reportedly stemmed from Paul being highly critical of the players, the coaching staff and even the front office.
Clippers General Manager Lawrence Frank and Head Coach Ty Lue have both issued statements regarding Paul's split from the team, but it didn't change the fact that fans, media and colleagues were less than thrilled with how the franchise treated one of their fan base's most beloved players.
When Paul signed with the Clippers during the summer, he was given a press conference and an emotional welcome back to the team. Just last week, when he confirmed that this would be his final season, he was honored with a tribute video at Intuit Dome. Now, just barely two months into the season, Paul is no longer with the team.
With the news of Paul being let go breaking at the wee hours of the morning, many only found out when they woke up, and apparently, that includes the Clippers' star duo of James Harden and Kawhi Leonard .
"Me too. Woke up and saw it on social media. I'm just as confused and shocked as you guys," Harden told ESPN reporter Ohm Youngmisuk following their win over the Hawks, Wednesday night. "Definitely surprised me but not just Chris, it's a lot we were dealing with but that's out of my hands."
Harden and Paul were also teammates with the Houston Rockets from 2017 to 2019, during which the duo carried the team to a franchise-best 65-17 record in 2018. They came within one win of making the NBA Finals but ultimately lost to the eventual champions, the Golden State Warriors . When Paul was eventually traded away to Oklahoma City in 2019, many reported that it was due to him and Harden butting heads.
Like Harden, Leonard was also caught off guard by the news, especially since he and Paul were said to have a good relationship.
"It was shocking to me," Leonard shared . "I guess they had a conversation and front office made a decision."
While it's easy to speculate and even be skeptical of Harden and Leonard not having any idea of Paul's situation, it all remains a bizarre and unexplainable move from the Clippers' brass, especially given their current standing.
While it was indeed a wild Wednesday for the Clippers, they did have a bit of a silver lining, as they managed to record a rare win, beating the shorthanded Hawks in Atlanta, 115-92, to improve to 6-16 for the season.
Harden led the way for the visiting Clippers, scoring 27 points and dishing out nine assists, while Leonard added 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists. They also got a massive boost off the bench from rookie Kobe Sanders , who poured in a career-high 17 points.
The Hawks, who were without Trae Young , Jalen Johnson and Kristaps Porzingis , were anchored by Nickeil Alexander-Walker 's 21 points.
While there's still a ton of ground to cover in terms of trying to compete for a postseason spot, the win was a step in the right direction, as it snapped a five-game losing skid. With all the drama surrounding the Paul situation, this game could have also gone in a very different direction, which would have only added to the team's ongoing struggles.
Was Paul being sent home the first in a series of moves designed to shake things up with the Clippers? Will this ultimately be the turning point for their so-far dismal season? Only time will tell.
Related: "Absolutely despicable" - NBA world reacts to Clippers parting ways with Chris Paul
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
