Chris Paul Not a Lock to Re-Sign With Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers showed Vinny Del Negro the door because of Chris Paul. They didn’t fire him, they just elected not to offer him a new contract. And now, as The Hoop Doctors has already told you, Paul’s pissed.

How pissed?

Enough so that he’s no longer a lock to re-up with Los Angeles.

According to ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard, the point guard is angry that he’s being blamed for Del Negro’s departure when he actually had nothing to do with it and will consider signing elsewhere this summer:

Chris Paul is upset with the Los Angeles Clippers organization because he is being widely blamed for the firing of Vinny Del Negro as coach, according to a source close to the situation.

How much of an impact this will have on Paul’s decision to re-sign with the Clippers as a free agent is not clear, but the source conceded that Paul’s anger could lead him to look elsewhere.

“He’s angry right now and his anger is directed toward the Clippers organization,” the source said. “Chris is a man of principle and if he feels like you’ve gone against his principles, it will affect how he feels about you. He’s very agitated that his name has been put out there as the reason for Vinny’s firing. He had nothing to do with it.”

Bomb. Dropped.

Broussard goes on to mention that Del Negro himself was angry with Paul. He believes that it was Paul who orchestrated his exit along with the rest of us.

“Well, Chris is a free agent,” Del Negro said while on the Dan Patrick Show (via Zach Harper of CBS Sports). “They were compelled to make a decision. He’s entitled to his opinion. He’s a free agent and he’s going to have a lot of say on a lot of things as he did in the previous summer when we put the team together.”

Del Negro really can’t be blamed for making such a concession. We believed that Paul was behind his departure as well. And why? Because he’s a free agent. Because the Clippers got eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Because Paul didn’t believe he was the right man to lead Los Angeles to a championship.

Oh, and because Clippers owner Sterling told us so.

When asked about whether it was Paul that drove the team to part ways with Del Negro, Sterling insinuated it was.

“I always want to be honest and not say anything that is not true,” he said (via Broussard). “So I’d rather not say anything. But you know, the coach did a really good job. I think he did. And I liked working with him. There are just factors that make life very complicated and very challenging.”

He was then pressed further, and asked if it was the players who were calling the shots.

“No, you’re not off base,” he explained. “This is a players’ league, and, unfortunately, if you want to win, you have to make the players happy.”

Yikes. Times 10.

Even if it was Paul that drove the Clippers to sever ties with Del Negro, saying it’s unfortunate that you have to please players in order to build a winning team isn’t conducive with, well, winning. Whether he wants to or not, Sterling needs to show support; he needs to stand by Paul.

Remember, Paul’s the one that has kept this team afloat for the last two years. He’s the reason they were heralded as a contender. Not Blake Griffin. Or DeAndre Jordan. Or anyone else. Him. So yeah, if he wanted Del Negro gone, he had to go. If he didn’t, then the team was free to make their own decision. Regardless, throwing him under the bus should have never been part of the plan. It’s not going to help the Clippers.

Rest assured, Paul is as big a flight risk as ever now. He’s not guaranteed to re-sign with the Clippers just because they can offer him $108 million and a fifth guaranteed year. He wants to go where he can win. Just as importantly, he wants to go somewhere he’s appreciated. Somewhere the owner doesn’t put the onus of every decision on him, or embellish the truth.

Somewhere that may not be Los Angeles.