ATLANTA.– In an unexpected decision during the early hours of this Wednesday, the LA Clippers announced that veteran point guard Chris Paul is no longer part of the team, abruptly ending his second stint with the franchise.

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The player himself, considered one of the greatest figures in Clippers history, revealed the news by posting a story on Instagram around 3:00 a.m. ET, in which he reported that he had been sent home from Atlanta, where the Los Angeles team will face the Hawks tonight. Minutes later, the team’s president of basketball operations, Lawrence Frank, confirmed the decision via a message to ESPN.
“We are parting ways with Chris and he will no longer be on the team. We will work with him on the next step of his career”, Frank expressed. The executive praised the point guard’s career and took responsibility for the team’s poor performance: “Chris is a Clippers legend. Nobody blames him for our poor performance. I accept responsibility for our current record.”

A team in crisis

The Clippers are going through one of their worst moments of the season, with 14 losses in the last 16 games and a record of 5-16. The absence of Bradley Beal, who was ruled out for the rest of the year after a hip injury in November, has worsened the situation. To finalize Paul’s departure, the organization will have to cut him and assume his salary, agree to a termination, or wait until December 15 to execute a possible transfer.

Ty Lue: “I didn’t want it to end like this”

Coach Ty Lue lamented the way the separation occurred:
“I don’t think CP is the reason for our brand. It didn’t fit with what he was looking for. I respect him a lot and didn’t want his departure to be like that.”

The end of a cycle

Paul, 40 years old, returned to the Clippers in July to play what would be his last season in the NBA, according to sources last month. His main role was to contribute from the bench, something atypical for someone who has been a starter in 1,314 of his 1,354 games in the league. In 16 games with the team, Paul averaged 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in 14.3 minutes per game. His last contribution was eight points and three assists in the 140-123 loss to Miami.

Another abrupt ending in the franchise

This situation revives a similar episode that occurred in 2018, when Blake Griffin, after signing a millionaire contract, was surprisingly traded months later, marking another painful breakup of the Lob City era.