US News: The Los Angeles Clippers stunned the NBA world early Wednesday morning when they informed Chris Paul, the greatest player in franchise history, that he was being sent home from the team’s road trip and would no longer be part of the roster. The 40-year-old future Hall of Famer broke the news himself on Instagram shortly after 3 a.m. Eastern time with a brief post that read, “Just Found Out I’m Being Sent Home,” followed by a peace sign emoji. Hours later, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank issued a public statement intended to honor Paul, but many fans and observers believe the message fell flat and only intensified the criticism aimed at the organization’s leadership.
Paul returned to the Clippers last summer on a one-year, $3.6 million contract with the clear intention of finishing his illustrious career in Los Angeles, close to his family, and retiring in the uniform he helped make relevant during his first stint from 2011 to 2017. That initial run produced the only sustained success in franchise history, including multiple playoff appearances, Pacific Division titles, and the famous Lob City era alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. His return was celebrated as a full-circle moment, a chance for fans to say a proper goodbye to the player who still holds virtually every meaningful assist and steals record in the Clippers record book.
Instead, after appearing in only 16 games this season and averaging career lows of 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in 14.3 minutes, Paul was abruptly cut loose while the team was in Atlanta preparing for Wednesday night’s game against the Hawks. Sources confirmed that Paul was told to return home rather than continue with the team on its current five-game trip. The timing and handling of the decision immediately drew sharp criticism from fans who had viewed Paul’s presence, even in a reduced role, as one of the few feel-good stories on a roster that has collapsed to a 5-16 record, second worst in the Western Conference.
Frank’s subsequent statement attempted to strike a respectful tone. “We are parting ways with Chris and he will no longer be with the team,” Frank wrote. “We will work with him on the next step of his career. Chris is a legendary Clipper who has had a historic career. I want to make one thing very clear. No one is blaming Chris for our underperformance. I accept responsibility for the record we have right now. There are a lot of reasons why we’ve struggled. We’re grateful for the impact Chris has made on the franchise.”
Despite the words of appreciation, the statement has been widely panned as tone-deaf. Critics pointed out that virtually no one in the fan base or media had suggested Paul was responsible for the team’s struggles, making the preemptive defense unnecessary and oddly defensive. Others questioned the sincerity of offering to “work with him on the next step” when the actual process involved notifying a retiring icon in the middle of the night and instructing him to fly home alone.
The episode has reignited long-simmering frustration with Frank, who has served as the Clippers’ top basketball decision-maker since 2017. While he was once praised for building consistent winners around Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, including a franchise-first trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2021, recent moves have eroded much of that goodwill. The decision to surround an injury-prone Leonard and an aging James Harden with high-mileage veterans has left the Clippers with the oldest roster in the league and little flexibility moving forward. The abrupt handling of Paul, a player universally respected across the league, has become a flashpoint for fans who believe the organization no longer knows how to balance respect for its past with the demands of the present.
As the Clippers prepare to face the Hawks on Wednesday night riding a five-game losing streak, the conversation around the franchise has shifted from on-court performance to leadership accountability. For a fan base that has waited decades for sustained relevance, watching the greatest player in team history leave under these circumstances feels like more than a roster move. It feels like a statement about where the Clippers are headed, and many supporters are asking whether Lawrence Frank remains the right person to lead them there.
