The Los Angeles Clippers had one of the biggest surprises in the 2025-26 NBA season. The Clippers let Chris Paul go and are exploring potential trades for the veteran star. Over the summer, Paul returned to the franchise that served as his home team from 2011 to 2017. His return has a fairytale aspect to it, since he announced that the current season will be his last.
The league was prepared to give Paul the proper sendoff and a farewell tour. But that has been on pause for now since he isn’t playing. The Clippers’ decision to bench him was the answer to why he didn’t have a defined role in the rotation.
Ahead of Tuesday’s Emirates NBA Cup Finals, league commissioner Adam Silver revealed his thoughts on what happened between Chris Paul and the Clippers.
“I’ve talked to Chris, I’ve talked to Steve Ballmer, but frankly not about this. I probably was in bed when I saw an alert on my phone. I would say I was dismayed just for everyone involved,” Silver said.
In this statement Adam Silver reveals he’s spoken to Steve Ballmer recently, but NOT about the Chris Paul situation.
What could they have been speaking about 🤔 pic.twitter.com/hW9F1haGtK
— APHoops (@APH00PS) December 17, 2025
“I’ve admired [Paul’s] leadership over the years. He’s had a dozen all-star appearances. I think it’s his 21st year in the league, so I would love to see him finish off the season on another team and he’s already announced this is his last season. I’d love to see him finish strong.”
Chris Paul was “stunned” when he found out about the Clippers’ decision
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne wrote an article about what went down within the Clippers’ organization. Part of what she did included Chris Paul’s reaction to his getting sidelined.
“Paul was stunned, sources said, and tried to plead his case,” Shelburne wrote. “At one point, he brought teammate Brook Lopez into the room as something of a character witness.
“Lopez and Leonard were Paul’s most ardent supporters on the team, sources said. Paul reminded Frank that he had asked him to facilitate another meeting with Lue and that hadn’t happened. Frank acknowledged that but held firm. The decision had been made.”
The Clippers have made their decision to move on from one of the best players their organization has seen. CP3 turned the squad into a reliable postseason contender and a competitive Western team during his initial tenure with the team.
