There has been some speculation about whether or not we have seen Chris Paul play in his final NBA game after the veteran guard was shockingly waived by the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this week. We hadn't heard from Paul himself, though, until now.
NBA reporter Chris Haynes reached out to Paul, who provided the following statement regarding his status:
“I’m just staying ready. I’m hooping right now. I don’t [know] what’s next. I’m still scarred by it all. Still processing everything. But I’m staying ready.”
That certainly doesn’t sound like a player who is quite ready for retirement. Paul plans to retire after the current campaign, but it’s not surprising that he doesn’t want being released by the Clippers to be his final chapter.
There likely isn’t a starting spot for Paul anywhere in the league at this point, but some contending teams would probably be happy to add him for some backcourt depth, and for the experience he brings.
After all that he's done for the Clippers organization over the course of his career, it's understandable that Paul would feel scarred, and probably a bit betrayed, by the way that his exit from the team transpired. The team's decision to move on from Paul came as a surprise not just to him, but also to his teammates.
"I'm just as confused and shocked as you guys, the world," James Harden said of the move. "Definitely surprised me. But not just Chris, it's a lot that we were dealing with. But that is out of my hands. I got to focus on what I got to focus on and what I can control. I guess the front office felt that was the best decision for the organization."
Paul likely won't rush the decision, but it will be extremely interesting to see where he might end up.