Ty Lue and Chris Paul were not on speaking terms for several weeks before the Los Angeles Clippers parted ways with him on Wednesday morning. Paul and his leadership style clashed with the Clippers and the team felt that it had become disruptive, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Paul had been vocal in holding management, coaches and players accountable amid their 5-16 start to the 2025-26 season. Chris Haynes reported that Paul requested a meeting with Lue to discuss allegations of being a negative presence on the team, but the Clippers’ head coach refused.
Paul appeared in 16 games with the Clippers, averaging 2.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 14.2 minutes. Paul appeared in all 82 games last season with the San Antonio Spurs where he averaged 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 28.0 minutes.
“This decision had nothing to do with one incident or one meeting that did or did not happen,” Lawrence Frank said. “Some of our business, respectfully have to keep in-house, but this didn’t come down to just a one incident and one meeting.
“It just wasn’t the right fit. … We had conversations with Chris throughout, even before we started — call it the onboarding process — and throughout. So this isn’t like an isolated one-conversation decision. No, these are fluid throughout.”
Last week, Paul announced he planned to retire at the end of the season. The Phoenix Suns had interest in Paul in the offseason, but there were concerns from the coaching staff about how his presence could impact the team.
The Clippers owe their unprotected first round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder this year.