The Los Angeles Clippers have shockingly parted ways with Chris Paul in a move that few expected. Prior to his departure, the veteran guard appeared in the team’s last game against the Miami Heat on Monday.
Given Paul’s active role, the decision came as a surprise, particularly as he had announced this season would be his retirement tour.
Clippers head coach Ty Lue addressed the situation on Wednesday and offered his perspective on Paul’s exit.
Ty Lue Clarifies Why Clippers Let Go of Chris Paul
Before the Clippers took on the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, Lue addressed Paul’s departure from the team during a pregame press conference. Lue said he wasn’t a fan of the front office’s decision but understands that things weren’t working out between Paul and the team.
“I don’t like it,” Lue said about Paul’s exit. “It just didn’t work out like we thought it would. … Just wasn’t a good fit.”
Ty Lue on the Clippers sending Chris Paul home:
“I don’t like it. It just didn’t work out like we thought it would. … Just wasn’t a good fit.”
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Despite what Lue said during his interview, many reports suggest that Paul’s exit had something to do with his strained relationship with the Clippers’ head coach. According to reports, the veteran guard isn’t a fan of Lue’s leadership and would often hold him accountable for the team’s errors.
The situation reportedly worsened, leading Chris Paul to place blame on the entire organization for the Clippers’ underwhelming performance this season.
The veteran guard is known to be an expressive individual. However, his communication style could easily be perceived negatively, especially given how Paul voices his thoughts.
Because of their differences in opinion, some reports revealed that Paul and Lue were no longer on speaking terms. This was one of the reasons why the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, Lawrence Frank, was forced to make the tough decision to let Paul go.
Frank also revealed that many other factors made parting ways with the veteran guard make sense to him.
“This decision had nothing to do with one incident or one meeting that did or did not happen,” Frank said. “Some of our business, respectfully, have to keep in-house, but this didn’t come down to just one incident and one meeting.”
Ultimately, the Clippers organization grew weary of Paul’s behavior, leaving it too late for the veteran guard to resolve matters with what was expected to be the final team of his career before retirement.