Los Angeles Clippers star guard James Harden was reportedly not in favor of the team signing future Hall of Famer and veteran guard Chris Paul during the offseason.
Clippers Released Chris Paul Amid Final NBA Season
Speaking on the Kevin O’Connor Show, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor said Harden was “opposed” to the Paul signing and was “one of the guys who was like, ‘Eh, I’m not so sure here.'”
The Clippers announced Wednesday that they had decided to part ways with Paul, just 16 games into the 12-time All-Star’s second stint with the organization.
Paul posted early Wednesday morning on Instagram that he was “being sent home.”
Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank later confirmed the news in a statement:
“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. 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. There are a lot of reasons why we’ve struggled. We’re grateful for the impact Chris has made on the franchise.”
Harden couldn’t believe the news when he read the headline.
“I’m just as confused and shocked as you guys, the world,” Harden said Wednesday night after the Clippers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 115-92 to snap a five-game losing streak.
“Definitely surprised me. But not just Chris, it’s a lot that we were dealing with. But that is 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.”
Paul Had Become Disruptive In L.A.
Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard was also stunned.
“It was shocking to me,” Leonard said. “I guess they had a conversation, and front office made a decision.”
Sources close to the team told ESPN’s Shams Charania that Paul and his leadership style clashed with head coach Ty Lue and the Clippers amid a disappointing start to the season.
Paul was reportedly vocal in holding management, coaches, and players accountable. The Clippers believed Paul’s style had become disruptive, per Charania.
The Clippers had also decided to release Paul less than a week after the team played a heartfelt tribute video for the 11-time All-NBA member.
That video was released a week after Paul announced the 2025-26 campaign would be his final NBA season.
Paul, who turns 41 in May, posted this message on X on Nov. 22: “What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!”
During the offseason, Paul rejoined the Clippers on a one-year, $3.6 million deal. The former first-rounder had planned to finish his career with the franchise he spent six seasons with from 2011 to 2017.
In addition, Paul is the Clippers’ franchise leader in total assists (4,076) and steals per game (2.1).
According to Basketball Reference, Paul is the NBA’s active leader in assists (12,552) and steals (2,728) and is second all time in both behind John Stockton (15,806 assists, 3,265 steals).
