Lawrence Frank's New Chris Paul Comments Leave 1 Question Unanswered

The LA Clippers and franchise legend Chris Paul are parting ways 21 games into the NBA season.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

LA Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank addressed reporters on Wednesday morning, just hours after the shocking decision to part ways with franchise legend and 12-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul. The news that Paul and the Clippers were splitting surfaced late Tuesday night when the 40-year-old point guard posted on his Instagram story that he had “just found out” he was being sent home.

Frank released a statement shortly after, confirming Paul would no longer be with the team. When he addressed the media via Zoom on Wednesday, LA’s Team President refused to offer much detail into what exactly led to Paul being sent home.

“It just wasn't the working out the way that I had planned, the way we had planned,” Frank began. “And it's unfortunate. You don't take decisions like this lightly at all, especially a guy that's meant so much to the league and so much to our organization. But we just felt it was the it was the right decision to make. And unfortunately, it was it was a really, really hard decision to make — but I think the right one for the team and organization.”

LA Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank watches in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Intuit Dome. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported friction between Paul and several members of the Clippers organization, including head coach Ty Lue. When asked if there was a specific incident between Paul and Lue, Frank said he wanted to keep all details in-house.

“This decision had nothing to do with one incident or one meeting that did or did not happen,” Frank said. “Some of our business, respectfully, have to keep in-house… It just wasn't the right fit.”

Why Did the Clippers Bring Chris Paul Back This Season?

While Frank's choice not to offer details on the issues between Paul and Lue wasn’t overly surprising, the one question that remains unanswered is why the Clippers felt comfortable bringing back their franchise icon in the first place. It’s no secret that Paul has a leadership style that isn’t fit for everyone. No organization should know this better than the Clippers, where he spent six seasons of his future Hall of Fame career in the 2010s.

As the Clippers were nearing a deal to land Paul, Frank told reporters their final roster spot would be going to someone who fully understood their role.

“Role awareness, especially in this next roster spot, will be critical," Frank said in July. "When you look at it, you have 10 quality rotation players right now… We typically play nine. What we’ve seen is the problem of potentially having too many guys and how that can impact the team. So we’ve learned from those lessons and I think the conversations that we have with anyone who is going to join the Clippers next — they understand it’s a reserve role. They understand going into camp exactly what it looks like. So there is no preconceived misconceptions."

I asked Lawrence Frank where the Clippers see minutes for another reserve guard — like Chris Paul — in a rotation that already includes James Harden, Bradley Beal, Kris Dunn, and Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Here is his full answer:

“Role awareness, especially in this next roster spot,…

— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) July 19, 2025

When I asked Frank on Wednesday what had changed since these comments, especially considering the Clippers knew exactly what they were getting in Paul, he again opted to keep things in-house.

“I’d like to keep some of those things in-house,” he said. “Chris has a very good leadership style. He’s led a lot of teams. And he’s led a lot of teams as being one of the best players, if not the best player on the team. It just, the role — some moves you make, you have great intentions. And some work and some don’t. And I own that. And this one just didn’t work at this time.”

What Changed Between Chris Paul and the Clippers?

It’s hard to imagine Paul has been operating much differently this season than he has throughout his 21-year career, including his first stint in LA. But he’s also never been on a team this bad.

At the beginning of the season, new Clippers forward John Collins praised Paul for the standard he was setting.

“Always in my ear,” Collins said. “Whether in the moment I’m happy about it or not. He’s just leading me in the right direction. Obviously James, Kawhi. The dudes. But CP, if you watch closely enough you’re gonna always see CP talking to really everybody. Sometimes you just gotta humble yourself and listen. We move.”

John Collins says Chris Paul is constantly motivating him.

“Always in my ear. Whether in the moment I’m happy about it or not. He’s just leading me in the right direction. Obviously James, Kawhi. The dudes. But CP, if you watch closely enough you’re gonna always see CP talking… pic.twitter.com/tnc8qD2yKa

— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) October 27, 2025

These comments came after a 114-107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers that improved the Clippers to 2-1 through three games. They have gone 3-15 since. And Paul’s voice, which was praised throughout training camp and the early portion of the season, was no longer deemed a positive influence — but rather something so disruptive that he needed to be removed entirely.

How different was this version of Paul from the one who played in LA from 2011 to 2017? Frank didn’t answer that. But when the Clippers brought back their franchise legend for a retirement tour, they felt he checked all their boxes. Just 21 games later, this marriage has ended for a second time. And this time it’s for good.