The news broke quietly, almost like a late-night sigh drifting across time zones, but its impact hit with the weight of a decade’s worth of memories. Chris Paul — the Point God, the steady heartbeat of Lob City, the veteran who came back to Los Angeles for one last run — has been sent home by the Los Angeles Clippers in the middle of their road trip.
On the eve of facing the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, Paul himself broke the news on Instagram when he posted on his story just before 3:00AM EST that he was being sent home.
Clippers say sayonara to legendary point guard Chris Paul in the middle of the night while the team is in Atlanta. That’s just cold. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/FNR0GhfiWI
— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) December 3, 2025
“Just Found Out I’m Being Sent Home ✌️” Paul wrote on his IG story.
The franchise confirmed what Paul first hinted at on Instagram: his second tenure with the Clippers is over.
In a statement shared through ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, Clippers president Lawrence Frank tried to speak to the heart of the matter, even if the details remained locked away.
“We are parting ways with Chris and he will no longer be with the team. We will work with him on the next step of his career,” Frank said, careful to place accountability on his own shoulders. “Chris is a legendary Clipper who 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.”
And that underperformance has been impossible to ignore. At 5–16, with five straight losses and eight defeats in their last nine, the Clippers feel like a team slipping through their own hands. Injuries, inconsistency, and a roster in flux have stripped away whatever hope existed when the season began. Paul, coming off the bench in his 21st and final NBA season, became collateral damage in the team’s ongoing search for answers.
His numbers this year — 2.9 points and 3.3 assists per game — don’t tell the story of who he is or what he’s meant to this league. They simply reflect the reality of a 40-year-old legend trying to squeeze out one last run. Monday’s outing in Miami, where he logged eight points and three assists, now reads like the unexpected final chapter of his Clippers career.
MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 1: Chris Paul #3 of the LA Clippers plays defense during the game against the Miami Heat on December 1, 2025 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
Paul’s return last offseason was sold as a homecoming, a reunion with a franchise he helped elevate into relevance. He’d called the move a “no-brainer,” a chance to close the loop on six unforgettable years packed with All-Star brilliance, playoff heartbreak, and the kind of artistry that made him one of the greatest point guards to ever live. Twelve All-Star selections. Five assist titles. Six steals crowns. The Hall of Fame waiting with its doors cracked open, ready.
Now? The story veers sharply into uncertainty.
Being sent home — especially mid-trip, mid-season, mid-farewell — is jarring. It carries an air of finality, as if the universe is tapping Paul on the shoulder and whispering that time is undefeated. Yet sports have a way of bending fate in unexpected ways. Maybe another contender gives him one last shot. Maybe his closing act shifts from Hollywood to a city chasing June glory.
But tonight in Atlanta, the Clippers move on from their franchise icon.