Chris Paul entered the 2025–26 NBA season with a clear sense of finality. During training camp and again earlier this fall, the 40-year-old guard said that this would be his last season on the court.
And according to The Guardian, the 12-time All-Star returned to the Los Angeles Clippers in July on a one-year, $3.6 million deal.
But in the early hours of Wednesday morning, December 3, Paul confirmed a sudden and unexpected shift in that farewell season. Posting to his Instagram Stories at around 3 a.m. ET, Chris Paul revealed the Clippers had released him while the team was on the road.
“Just Found Out I’m Being Sent Home,” he wrote, punctuating the message with a peace emoji. The Clippers were in Atlanta at the time, preparing to face the Hawks as part of a road trip following another loss and continuing a rough stretch for the team.
Not long after Paul’s post began circulating, Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, addressed the move in a statement provided to multiple outlets.
Frank confirmed that Paul would no longer be with the team and said the organization plans to explore trade options. He emphasized that the decision was not an indictment of Paul’s performance or leadership.
“Chris is a legendary Clipper who has had a historic career,” Frank said. “No one is blaming Chris for where we are. I take responsibility for the record we have right now. We’re grateful for everything he’s meant to this franchise, and we’ll work with him on the next step of his career.”
Paul’s role this season had already been limited. Through 21 games, he averaged career lows across the board, including 2.6 points and 3.3 assists in 14.3 minutes per game. He missed multiple contests altogether in November and played his final game Monday night against Miami, logging 15 minutes off the bench. That outing came amid lineup changes that saw starters, including James Harden, scaled back as head coach Tyronn Lue searched for answers.
As for the Clippers, the release comes with the team mired near the bottom of the Western Conference. Los Angeles has dropped five straight games and sits with one of the league’s worst records.
Ongoing injuries have limited Kawhi Leonard, and Bradley Beal is out for the season following hip surgery. The organization now moves forward without Chris Paul, closing an unexpected chapter in what was expected to be his final NBA campaign.