"That wasn't the way to do it" - Corey Maggette criticizes how the Clippers handled Chris Paul
After playing eight seasons for the Los Angeles Clippers , it's fair to say that Corey Maggette has a solid grasp of what the franchise is all about. As someone who played for the Clippers in the 2000s, a time when they compiled plenty of highlights that didn't translate into wins, Maggette says the franchise's push to shed its reputation as a laughingstock and establish itself as a consistent contender in the NBA has been an uphill battle.
Maggette stressed that the way the Clippers handled the situation involving the undisputed best player in franchise history, Chris Paul , will not do them any favors.
A bad look
The Clippers shocked the basketball world in early December when they announced they had parted ways with Paul, sending him away from the team in the wee hours of the morning while they were in the middle of a road trip.
While numerous reports have alluded to the reasons why the Clippers decided they were better off without the man many credit with lifting the franchise out of its decades-long slump, Maggette believes the way it was handled could have a lasting negative impact on the team's reputation.
"It doesn't look good for the Clippers," Maggette emphasized .
The Clippers have long struggled to establish their identity in the NBA. Under the regime of former owner Donald Sterling, the Clippers were known for their dismal play, resulting in only a handful of postseason appearances from 1981 to 2014. However, the Clippers began making their mark in the 2010s, thanks to the "Lob City" era that was led by CP and fellow All-Stars Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan .
"They really changed the trajectory of the way you look at the Clippers, right? Because no one looked at the Clippers as anything. They weren't a threat. They weren't a threat at all," Maggette surmised.
"And so, for a player that will be a first ballot Hall of Famer — he's probably getting his jersey retired somewhere — and what he's done for this league, I don't think it was the right position to do," he added, referring to the Clippers' move to cut ties with Chris in his final season in the NBA.
What this tells NBA free agents
The Clippers have come a long way. With former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer purchasing the team from Sterling in 2014, the Clippers have made strides to escape the shadow of their former owner's racist remarks and become a competitive force in the NBA. This has been especially evident in recent years with the addition of superstars like Kawhi Leonard and James Harden .
However, Maggette said that what the Clippers did to Paul may send a different message to future free agents.
"If you want to bring other free agents, right? There's one free agent by the name of Giannis that's going to come up eventually, right? You want people to see your franchise like, 'Man, I want to go there and play there. I want to go there and play. Not just because I can get money, but I want to play for that franchise,'" Maggette expressed. "For the Clippers, and the way you want to represent your brand, that wasn't the way to do it."
Although the Clippers have won five in a row to improve to 11-21, it's evident that changes to this roster are needed. However, as Maggette alluded to, it may be difficult to entice players to join the Clippers if they continue to operate in a manner that doesn't align with player empowerment and the creation of a desirable culture.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
