ATLANTA — In a surprising in a single day transfer, the LA Clippers introduced that Chris Paul is now not on the group.
Paul, one of many biggest gamers in Clippers franchise historical past, posted on his Instagram a bit earlier than 3 a.m. ET that he had simply realized he was being despatched house to Los Angeles from Atlanta, the place the Clippers play the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
Shortly afterward, Lawrence Frank texted an announcement to ESPN confirming that Paul is now not on the group.
“We’re parting methods with Chris and he’ll now not be with the group,” the Clippers president of basketball operations stated within the assertion. “We’ll work with him on the following step of his profession.
“Chris is a legendary Clipper who has had a historic profession. I wish to make one factor very clear. Nobody is blaming Chris for our underperformance. I settle for duty for the report now we have proper now. There are a number of the explanation why we have struggled. We’re grateful for the influence Chris has made on the franchise.”
The Clippers have misplaced 14 of their final 16 video games, together with 5 straight, and enter their sport in opposition to the Hawks with a 5-16 report. They misplaced Bradley Beal, one among their largest offseason signings, to a season-ending hip harm in early November.
Now Paul and the Clippers are splitting. The Clippers introduced Paul again in late July on a one-year deal. For Paul, 40, this was an opportunity to return house and end his profession with the franchise that he spent six seasons with from 2011-’17. Sources advised ESPN’s Shams Charania final month that Paul is retiring on the finish of this season, his twenty first season.
Paul is the group’s all-time chief in whole assists and steals per sport. After beginning 1,314 of his 1,354 profession video games and beginning all 82 video games final season for the San Antonio Spurs, Paul’s function was to return off the bench with the Clippers, understanding he might not play each evening.
Paul performed in 15 video games, averaging 2.6 factors and three.3 assists in 14.2 minutes per sport. He performed quarter-hour and had eight factors and three assists in his remaining sport with the Clippers throughout Monday’s 140-123 loss in Miami.
That is the second time the Clippers have had a tough and abrupt ending with one among their all-time star gamers from the Lob Metropolis period. In July 2017, Blake Griffin signed a five-year, $171-million cope with the Clippers however was traded to the Detroit Pistons later that season in January when the group determined to go in a special route.