The Los Angeles Clippers sent Chris Paul home on Tuesday night ahead of their away clash against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. However, the Clippers did not technically waive Paul, meaning the veteran guard could be moved to another team when he becomes trade-eligible on December 15.
HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan highlighted that there was no mention of the Clippers waiving Paul in their statement announcing the shocking news.
“No explicit mention of waiving Chris. Sounds like they’ll keep him on the roster and try to trade him later,” reported the NBA salary-cap expert. “He is trade-eligible on December 15. Either way, feels like the Clippers are about to shake things up a bit.”
Clippers Statement on Chris Paul
In their statement, the Clippers thanked CP3 and did not hold him responsible for their disastrous 5-16 start to the 2025-26 season. However, their statement made it abundantly clear that changes were coming, something Gozlan alluded to.
“We are parting ways with Chris and he will no longer be with the team,” front-office head Lawrence Frank said in a statement, via ESPN. “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. 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.”
Chris Paul Next Team
NBA insiders have floated teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets as destinations where Paul could end his career.
Paul played a key role in mentoring a young Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during his brief stint with the Thunder, developing a close bond with the Toronto native. He was in attendance for the 2025 NBA Finals, rooting for SGA and the Thunder, and later celebrating with the team after they beat the Indiana Pacers in a seven-game series.
As such, it would make perfect sense for Paul to bow out in his final season by helping the Thunder capture back-to-back NBA titles, while also winning his elusive ring.
As for the Lakers, Paul shares a close friendship with LeBron James and JJ Redick and also resides in Los Angeles, making it a natural fit. In fact, he chose to sign with the Clippers this offseason to stay close to his kids and family.
The Rockets are also an intriguing option. Houston has been operating without a proven point guard since Fred Van VanVleet went down with a season-ending ACL injury. Although Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson have performed admirably as ball-handlers, Paul could help the team as a backpoint guard in the playoffs.
Paul, of course, helped the Rockets reach the 2018 Western Conference Finals.
The legendary point guard signed a one-year, $2.29 million veteran minimum contract to join the Clippers last offseason. He confirmed via a social media post on November 22 that the 2025-26 season would be his last.
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