Chris Paul’s homecoming in Los Angeles has come to an abrupt end.
Paul was sent home by the Los Angeles Clippers late on Tuesday night. The team was in the middle of their five-game road trip. Taking to his Instagram story, Paul confirmed that he is no longer with the franchise.
“Just found out I’m being sent home,” Paul wrote.
The Clippers confirmed that they were parting ways with Paul early on Wednesday morning in an official statement.
“We are parting ways with Chris. He will no longer be with the team,” Clippers president Lawrence Frank said in a statement, via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “We will work with him on the next step of his career.”
“Chris is a legendary Clipper who had a historic career. I want to make one thing very clear. No one is blaming Chris for our underperformance. I accept responsibility for the record we have right now,” Youngmisuk continued. “There are a lot of reasons why we’ve struggled. We’re grateful for the impact Chris has made on the franchise.”
Paul previously announced that will retire following his 21st season. He signed a one-year, $3.6 million deal with the Clippers. He reunited with the franchise that he spent six seasons with earlier in his career. Paul said that the return to Los Angeles was a ‘no-brainer.”
This season, the 40-year-old Paul averaged 2.9 points and 3.3 assists per game this season coming off the bench.
The Clippers have gotten off to a terrible start this season with a 5-16 record. They currently have the second-worst record in the Western Conference ahead of only the New Orleans Pelicans.
Paul, a 12-time All-Star, has played for seven franchises throughout his career. He’s led the league in assists five times and led the league in steals six times.