Getting back to Los Angeles for one final season, that’s how Chris Paul wished to end his storied career. Just 12 hours ago, he was reliving the ‘Lob City’ days on Instagram. Then the shock. The Clippers announced Paul won’t continue with the team, leading to a huge complication in the future Hall of Famer’s final season. But the troubles equally affect the Clippers.

Bobby Marks, an expert on the NBA’s salary cap, explained the exact ramifications of finding a deal with Chris Paul. To sum it up, finding a trade partner is already hard for a 40-year-old point guard, and a buyout creates just as tall an obstacle for the Clippers.

“They are not allowed to waive Paul and sign a player to replacement. That can’t happen till early January here,” Marks noted. “As for roster rules go, the Clippers can drop below 14 players. However, they are not allowed to do that for more than 14 consecutive days”.

For context, the Clippers can’t trade Chris Paul before December 15. If they do decide to waive him before that, they fall to 13 members without the ability to sign a replacement before early January in order to stay below the first apron. That complicates the entire situation because the only way out is by finding a suitable trade for Paul. It could be an inconvenience for the Clippers organization.

At this point, it’s a desperate situation. With the team sitting at 5-16, they need some life to really rescue this season. So, if dealing Chris Paul is the only option, that could mean the Clippers being at the losing end of the deal since they would have to accept almost any offer for his $3.6 million contract. And trust this, teams around the league understand that their hand is forced.

The Clippers might not see any major improvements to their roster in such an event unless they attach a high-value player beside CP3. It’s a tricky situation to navigate. But at the heart of it all is a broken dream of one of the great players of the modern era.

All Chris Paul wanted was one last ride with the Clippers

From 2011 to 2017, the Clippers had an identity. Although they shared an arena with the Lakers, ‘Lob City’ created a fanbase of its own. Chris Paul was the nucleus, throwing darts to DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin. However, more than the success on the court, CP3 got to be close to his family. Once he left, his family stayed in LA.

All Paul could manage was a few video calls and some time with family when he would visit the city. In this last chapter, it was all about staying close to them. “I didn’t even care what the team looked like, I just wanted to be home, be here with the Clippers,” Paul said after signing with the team. It was always more than basketball.

Being at home, close to his loved ones, during his retirement year. It was everything Chris Paul could have imagined. Nothing else mattered. But now that’s been torn away because of the Clippers struggling heavily this season. Paul was taken by surprise by their call since joining the Clippers was an emotional move rather than motivated by the thirst for a championship.

Wherever his future takes him next, Chris Paul will likely have to leave his family in LA once more. That thought never crossed his mind during this part of his career. It’s sad to see how the situation has developed, with CP3 barely getting a chance to impact games. While it’s business as usual in the NBA, it’s hard to see a legend get treated this way in his final season.

Paul was willing to do everything necessary to stay with the Clippers. Unfortunately, the team let him down.