The Los Angeles Clippers stunned the basketball world on Tuesday by announcing they were cutting ties with franchise icon Chris Paul. The Clippers sent Paul home from their road trip, and this was quite the disastrous end to his second stint with the franchise. Coming back to the team was a mistake, and it would appear this whole situation could have been avoided if James Harden’s advice had been taken.
NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor reported on The Kevin O’Connor Show that Harden didn’t like the idea of the Clippers signing Paul this past offseason.
“I’ve heard from multiple sources that James Harden was opposed to the Chris Paul signing,” O’Connor said. “That he was one of the guys that was like ‘Eh, I’m not so sure here.’ And then this ended up happening. And the criticism constantly with players, with coaches, with front office management, it seems like maybe a little less surprising to James Harden, considering their time together.”
Harden had previously played alongside Paul from 2017 to 2019 on the Houston Rockets. While all was well at first, their relationship didn’t appear to be all that great towards the end of their time as teammates. So, Harden could have thought that Paul wasn’t a good fit in the building, and if he did, he was on point.
Many wondered why the Clippers would take such a drastic step, considering how bad the season was going. They had a 5-16 record when they made the decision, and it would appear those struggles were what eventually led to them deciding to cut ties with Paul, who was averaging 2.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 0.7 steals per game in 2025-26.
Former Clippers guard Lou Williams said Paul was holding everyone in that building accountable. He was so critical of everybody that he once apologized and made it clear that his comments were coming from a good place. It doesn’t seem like they were still seen that way.
The Athletic later reported that Paul’s leadership style sparked major tension with head coach Tyronn Lue, the rest of the coaching staff, and several players. The 12-time All-Star is said to have had several meetings with team officials recently and at one stage, was asked to stop with his “locker room lawyering.”
Paul has never come across as the type to change his ways, though, and he paid the price here. The 40-year-old had announced in November that he’d retire after this season, and walking away from the game as a Clipper seemed apt.
Paul helped turn the Clippers from a laughing stock to a contender when he arrived via trade from the New Orleans Hornets in 2011. By the time he left in 2017, he had established himself as one of the greatest players in team history. It’s a pity just how bad this second stint has turned out to be.
Getting back to Harden, while he may not have wanted Paul on the team, it would appear he didn’t see this coming. The 36-year-old claimed he was shocked by the news.
“Woke up and saw it on social media,” Harden said. “I’m just as confused and shocked as you guys, the world…Definitely surprised me, but not just Chris, it’s a lot we were dealing with, but that’s out of my hands. I got to focus on what I got to focus on and what I can control. I guess the front office felt that was the best decision for the organization.”
It will be interesting to see what Paul does next. You’d love to see him at least spend the rest of the season on a roster, as this would be a terrible way to go out for a player of his stature.
