According to reports, James Harden was against the signing of Chris Paul from the very beginning of his arrival to the Los Angeles Clippers.
A few days ago, NBA veteran Chris Paul was unexpectedly released by the Los Angeles Clippers, shocking the entire basketball world. The legendary point guard had signed with the team last summer, and with his tremendous experience, he was expected to strengthen their championship aspirations. However, Chris Paul will not chase his first NBA title with this franchise, as his stint ended abruptly.
Nothing has gone right for the Los Angeles Clippers this season. Their highly experienced – but aging – roster, has struggled to find both form and chemistry. According to well-informed reporter Kevin O’Connor, Clippers star James Harden was strongly opposed to the Chris Paul signing:
“I mean, absolutely a failure of leadership for sure and I think you know what they say publicly is one thing. I’ve heard from multiple sources that James Harden was opposed to the Chris Paul signing, that he was one of the guys who was like, ‘Eh, I’m not so sure here.’ And then this ended up happening.”
James Harden wasn’t a fan of the Clippers signing Chris Paul, per @KevinOConnor
“I’ve heard from multiple sources that James Harden was opposed to the Chris Paul signing, that he was one of the guys who was like, ‘Eh, I’m not so sure here.’ And then this ended up happening.”… pic.twitter.com/6MZlJvXiqf
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 5, 2025
Chris Paul played very limited minutes for the Clippers this season and posted extremely modest numbers: 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in just 14.4 minutes per game. Shortly after his release, reports also surfaced regarding a rift and lack of communication between head coach Tyronn Lue and Chris Paul. More and more signs point to seriously poor locker-room chemistry within the Clippers, which has clearly impacted their performance. The team currently stands at 6–16, far from expectations entering the season.
It remains to be seen whether the Los Angeles Clippers—led by James Harden and the perennially unpredictable availability of Kawhi Leonard—can turn things around. In addition to parting ways with Paul, the team has already lost Bradley Beal for the entire season due to injury.
As for the 40-year-old Chris Paul, it is well known that this is expected to be his final NBA season before retirement. The plan was to make one last run at a championship ring, and now the question is whether any contending team will look to sign one of the greatest point guards in the history of the league.
