Los Angeles Clippers Did Chris Paul a Favor Without Even Realizing It

In the middle of the night, the Los Angeles Clippers released veteran point guard Chris Paul.

This news came across as a bit of a surprise, as the 40-year-old guard announced that this would be his last season in the NBA just a few weeks ago.

But that farewell tour was cut short as the Clippers blindsided him with the news that he had been released. Now, ESPN’s Shams Charania is reporting that the Clippers weren’t gelling with Paul’s aggressive leadership style and that he wasn’t on speaking terms with head coach Tyronn Lue.

While Paul might not realize it, the Clippers actually did him a massive favor.

The Clippers are a dumpster fire. Right now, they are 5-16, good for 14th place in the Western Conference. They should be trying to win basketball games as the Oklahoma City Thunder own their first-round draft pick.

But an aging core of Kawhi Leonard and James Harden has not been enough.

Furthermore, the Clippers are certainly still playing second fiddle to the Lakers in Los Angeles. Even without LeBron James hitting his full stride since returning from sciatica, the Lakers are 15-5 and the second-best team in the Western Conference.

Paul was giving the Clippers anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes per night — coming off the bench for Harden and Kris Dunn. The 21-year veteran has been averaging just under three points per game, but is also averaging slightly over three assists per game, proving he can adequately run an NBA offense even in a reduced role.

But he was doing it on a team that’s going nowhere. While Paul returned to the Clippers during the offseason, many around the NBA assumed it would be his last year. He joined an organization where he had previously spent six seasons of his prime, appearing in All-Star games in five of those years.

Now, he is free to sign with any team. Hopefully, Paul can sign with an NBA title contender.

At his advanced age, it’s difficult to see where he will play any bigger role than what he was doing during his time in Los Angeles. However, despite playing 21 seasons, Paul is still searching for that coveted NBA title.

Perhaps he can stay in Los Angeles and join the Lakers. While James likely does not have the same amount of pull as he once had, it would be cool to see him share the floor with his close friend and Olympic gold medal–winning teammate.

Or, even though Paul might not prefer it, a rebuilding team like the New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Wizards, or Brooklyn Nets have plenty of young players that could probably use some tough love.

The Clippers are a dead organization right now, and it’ll be fun to see whatever Paul does next.