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Kawhi Leonard Finally Speaks on Chris Paul After Clippers' Decision to Part Ways

LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard addressed the Chris Paul situation.
Joey Linn|
Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) and forward Kawhi Leonard (2) against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) and forward Kawhi Leonard (2) against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

It has been nearly two weeks since the LA Clippers decided to part ways with franchise legend Chris Paul, just 21 games into his final NBA season. Several reports have surfaced since that night, some of which indicate certain Clippers players were among those frustrated with Paul. So far, nobody on the roster has stated that publicly.

The Clippers were in Atlanta when Paul was sent home, and the team has yet to play a game at Intuit Dome since that night. They have practiced, including on Sunday, and that is when Kawhi Leonard had a chance to address local media for the first time since Paul and the Clippers parted ways.

“Surprised at it,” Leonard said. “He’s always been a willing teammate when I spoke to him. Only thing I could talk about is our conversations. And they’ve always been positive and team-forward. I didn’t have nothing to do with it. I didn’t even know what was going on.”

This is similar to the answer Nicolas Batum gave last week when speaking with reporters at practice.

“I texted him the first day that happened,” Batum said. “… I obviously have a ton of respect for him… 21 years and a Hall of Famer… I got a chance to play with a lot of great players. He’s one of them. So just wanted to text him and thank him for the time I had with him.”

When asked specifically about the reports of Clippers players being on board with the decision to send Paul home, Batum made it clear he was not part of that decision.

“They didn’t ask me,” he said. “Like everybody else, I just woke up and found out about the news. It is what it is, the situation upstairs… If something happened, I don’t really know about it… It’s sad sometimes to be part of that. On both sides. The fans too. Just wish the best for CP.”

The Clippers have gone 1-3 since sending Paul home, bringing their record to 6-19 on the season. With players all having expressed a level of surprise at the decision, and Lue deferring mostly to Lawrence Frank when asked why the move needed to be made, there have been no comments from the team on Paul’s reported disruptive behavior.

“The organization, Lawrence made the decision to do it, but we gotta move on,” Lue said last week. “We gotta try to win some games. I don’t think the mood changed because Chris is gone. Nobody wanted to see him go like that.”

On why the situation could not be reconciled, Lue said, "You gotta ask Lawrence.”

With most everybody having now addressed the situation, there won’t be much to talk about on the Paul front until he is eventually moved. Monday’s Dec. 15 date is an important one for player movement, as it’s the first day players who signed free agent deals in the offseason can be traded.

As far as the Clippers’ outlook heading into trade season, Lue said he and Frank are always on the same page. 

“We always work close together,” he said. “Lawrence has been a great partner. Us trying to be on the same page, understanding what we need, what we wanna do. We’ve always been on the same page… He understands the game, he’s been a coach… We’ve always been on the same page as far as the talent you wanna get, who you wanna try to get, the players you wanna try to get.”

Lue added, “It doesn’t work out all the time. You can’t get the guys you want every single year… It’s a tough business. We always stay locked in, and we’re hand in hand.”

Frank now has the job of finding a new home for Paul via trade, or potentially working through the financial impact of releasing him from the roster if nobody is lining up for a deal.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.

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