NBA: Chris Paul feeling at peace after being dumped by Clippers

Chris Paul Finds Peace After Being Released by Clippers. Chris Paul was stunned when the Los Angeles Clippers released him in the early hours of Wednesday in Atlanta. But the 12-time All-Star has found an unexpected sense of calm as he contemplates the next chapter of his 21-season NBA career.

"I'm actually at peace with everything," Paul told PEOPLE.com on Tuesday. "More than anything, I'm excited about being around and getting a chance to play a small role in whatever anything looks like next."

Paul’s departure came amid apparent differences with team management. Reports suggested that he and coach Tyronn Lue were not on speaking terms, and some players found Paul's direct communication style challenging.

The move was especially surprising as Paul had returned to the Clippers—a team he starred for from 2011 to 2017—as part of what was expected to be a career sendoff. Paul has announced that he will retire after the season.

He broke the news himself on Instagram, posting: "Just Found Out I'm Being Sent Home," but emphasized that he harbors no regrets about the situation.

"I don't regret anything," Paul said. "I was in Atlanta with a whole bunch of family. It was my last time gonna be playing there. That's life. The whole thing took on a life of its own, you know? But I'm excited to be back here with my family."

At 40, Paul views the opportunity to spend more time with family as a blessing.

"Stuff's been a little crazy in the past few days—to say the least," he said. "But honestly, I'm home. My daughter had tryouts yesterday. My nephew had a basketball game. My son has a game coming up on the 12th. I have never seen my son play a game in person. Not a middle school game, not a high school game. So I'm excited about seeing him play."

This season, Paul averaged 2.9 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 16 games off the bench. He ranks second in NBA history in assists with 12,552 and second in steals with 2,728, trailing only Hall of Famer John Stockton in both categories.

Paul was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2006 while with New Orleans. He is a four-time All-NBA first-team selection, five-time NBA assists champion, six-time steals champion, and has earned seven first-team all-defensive honors. Paul was MVP of the 2013 All-Star Game, was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, and won Olympic gold medals with Team USA in Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

Over his career, Paul has played for New Orleans (2005–2011), the Clippers (2011–2017), Houston Rockets (2017–2019), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019–2020), Phoenix Suns (2020–2023), Golden State Warriors (2023–2024), and San Antonio Spurs (2024–2025). He holds career averages of 16.8 points, 9.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.0 steals over 1,370 games, including 1,314 starts. Despite his illustrious career, an NBA championship has eluded him, with his lone Finals appearance ending in a 2021 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks with the Suns. -Field Level Media/Reuters