In a move that blindsided fans, players, and the person at the center of it all, the Los Angeles Clippers announced overnight that Chris Paul (better known as CP3) was no longer with the team. Paul revealed the news himself in an early morning Instagram Story, saying he had just learned he was being sent home from Atlanta, where the Clippers were preparing to face the Hawks. For a future Hall of Famer in what was expected to be his final NBA season, this move felt undeserved.
Paul, 40, signed a one-year deal with the Clippers in July—a full-circle moment meant to bring him back to the franchise he helped define from 2011 to 2017. The return was supposed to be ceremonial and meaningful: a homecoming for one of the greatest floor generals in NBA history and, by every measure, the best point guard the Clippers have ever had. Instead, the team now looks poised to waive him and pay out his $3.6 million salary unless a trade or buyout materializes.
The timing could not be more jarring. Paul announced just a few weeks ago that he plans to retire at the end of this season, his 21st in the league. To be released without warning during a farewell campaign has ignited outrage among fans—many calling the decision “tasteless”—and emblematic of the cutthroat, business-first nature of professional sports.
And yet, this is the same CP3 who built a career on resilience. Drafted No. 4 overall by the New Orleans Hornets in 2005, Paul won Rookie of the Year, became a 12-time All-Star, earned 11 All-NBA and nine All-Defensive team selections, and was named one of the NBA’s 75 Greatest Players. With 1,314 career starts, he is the Clippers’ franchise leader in total assists and steals per game and one of the league’s most respected guards.
Off the court, Paul has built an equally impactful legacy. ESSENCE readers may remember that in 2011, the magazine covered his beautiful North Carolina wedding to his high school sweetheart, Jada Crawley, in a special edition of our Bridal Bliss franchise. Their love story, which began in Winston-Salem and stretched through his college years at Wake Forest, became one of the NBA’s most beloved.
Now, with the Clippers spiraling at 5–16 and Paul’s minutes dwindling, there are several teams that could emerge as landing spots, with each offering him one last chance to compete for the elusive championship that has long evaded him. While his next chapter remains uncertain, one thing is clear—Chris Paul deserved better than this. Hopefully, in the right situation, CP3 will get the opportunity to end a storied career on his own terms.
