Chris Paul's release from the Los Angeles Clippers took the NBA by surprise.
Overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, the Clippers sent Paul home. Having lost 14 of their last 16, L.A. Opted to cut Paul loose.
The reasons why are still trickling out, but there's already speculation about where Paul might go next.
One popular destination, and an easy one to leap to, is the Los Angeles Lakers.
Except there's one problem with that: Paul can't sign with the Lakers until Jan. 19.
MORE: Inside the kind of college basketball win that only happens in Syracuse, N.Y.
ESPN clarified that specific detail in a new article that analyzes Paul's options. The Lakers are dealing with penalties associated with the second apron of the salary cap setup, and so they can't fill their open 15th roster spot until that date.
The Houston Rockets are another team that could consider Paul but also can't sign him until January.
Roster spots will open up for more teams on Jan. 7, when teams make decisions on partially guaranteed contracts, writes ESPN's Bobby Marks.
MORE: Famous rapper Toosii commits to play college football in the ACC
All this January talk suggests Paul may be a free agent for a little while before going somewhere new.
That'd be good for the Lakers, at least, since they can't do anything to get Paul in the meantime, if that's a move they'd really like to consider.
CP3 was only playing 14 minutes a night with the Clippers, but it seems likely that he'd enjoy joining LeBron and making one last run at a title.
More news:
- Vandy, Miami urged to play 13th game in Hawaii as a CFP qualifier
- Giants need Jaxson Dart to learn a lesson from Drake Maye
- Rajon Rondo's son is getting buckets as an 8th grader on varsity
- 4-star WR FatRat Brown just made a college commitment flip
- Tom Brady's niece is the No. 1 pick as a superstar in her sport's draft
- Giannis Antetokounmpo's social media changes point to a trade request