The Clippers have performed well, securing 17 wins in their last 22 games. They rank second in offensive rating (120) and fourth in net rating (7.7). While this achievement is notable, particularly with star Kawhi Leonard playing alongside James Harden, certain issues have cast a shadow over the team this year. Apart from the early-season challenges, the Clippers as an organization have been somewhat disorganized. 

Before the season started, NBA veteran Chris Paul talked about how this season might be his last in the league. After this was confirmed, many paid tribute to his career, highlighting his roles on several teams such as the Charlotte Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns and most notably the Clippers. Considered the greatest trio in franchise history, next to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, the trio was the core of the Lob City era of Clippers basketball. 

James Harden playing for the Los Angeles Clippers during a basketball game. Harden was recently traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo courtesy of @clippers.kingdom on Instagram.

So, it was a shock to wake up on Dec. 3 to find that a little before 3 a.m., Paul posted that he had been sent home by the team. 

At first glance, it seemed weird. Why send him home when he wanted to go on his retirement tour? 

Despite Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank’s statement that, “No one is blaming Chris for our underperformance,” it’s reasonable to assume that something happened to prompt Frank to fly from Los Angeles to Atlanta to tell Paul he was essentially being sent home. 

In further reports, it was revealed that weeks prior to the decision, he had wanted to meet with Clippers head coach Tyron Lue about allegations of being a bad teammate, but Lue refused to meet with him. The two were not on speaking terms, and the team had felt that his leadership style had become disruptive, as sources told Shams Charania of ESPN. In essence, he was sent home for wanting to hold the people on his team accountable. 

An ESPN article by Ramona Shelbourne corroborates this point. When he provided suggestions, challenged players on or off the court or told them how to run a play, he was “warned not to undermine the staff” alongside “complaints from players and coaches that he was abrasive.” 

This eventually culminated in tense moments with the assistant coaching staff, particularly after their game on Nov. 29 against the Mavericks, when Paul suggested defensive coverage switches to better assist players. Jeff Van Gundy, an assistant coach, said to Paul, via Chris Hanes: “Listen, you might have had leeway in other places to be able to change up defensive coverages, but you don’t have that leeway here.” 

That was seemingly the conversation that broke the camel’s back. 

Paul is not the first player Los Angeles has done this to. The same thing happened when Griffin was traded to Detroit six months after signing a new contract with them. They’ve got a track record that has led many fans to take the situation in bad faith. 

Recently, Harden was traded to the Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland and a second-round pick. In terms of immediate impact, this move benefits the Cavaliers more than the Clippers, as Harden now serves as a secondary scoring option behind Donovan Mitchell. 

It happened unexpectedly and was a surprise at the recent trade deadline. After the Clippers firmly declined to offer Harden a contract beyond the 2026-27 season, he quickly requested a trade. Consistent with their stance, only starting center Ivica Zubac remains under contract for 2026-27. 

This is a sign that they are ready to move on from the struggling Leonard era of Clippers basketball, which has often been a source of memes and frustration instead of consistent victories. 

As for now, the Clippers need to keep hoping they can stay solid and not keep sliding further into the draft lottery. To remind you of the trade that ironically won the Thunder a championship, their pick for this year goes straight to the Thunder. If they don’t keep up this hot streak, they risk giving the Thunder a lottery pick — a nightmare for a team as strong as they are, especially with a talented draft class led by AJ Dybansta of BYU and Darryn Peterson of Kansas.