In the aftermath of Chris Paul’s shocking split with the Clippers, multiple NBA insiders reported that the impetus for the decision had something to do with the veteran guard’s leadership style, which allegedly rubbed the team the wrong way. Those same reports also claimed that CP and coach Ty Lue hadn't been on speaking terms in the weeks leading up to the break.
On Tuesday, however, Lue claimed that at least those latter allegations were false.
“That ain’t true,” he told reporters, asked specifically about the silent treatment narrative. “We were talking. ... How he gonna play if I’m not talking to him? There was a stretch when he said he wasn’t gonna play, he was gonna be out of the rotation. It was tough for him because he’s a competitor and what the game means to him and what he brings every single day, but after that, there wasn’t really much.”
Lue was then asked whether he had reached out to or spoken to Paul since the split, considering Paul had claimed in the days after that he hadn’t heard from the coach.
“I haven’t heard from him, either,” Lue replied.
The coach went on to add that he had no problem with Paul and understood his competitive nature, but then seemed a bit annoyed by the suggestion that the two had stopped talking at the end of Paul’s tenure.
“We had a 40-minute conversation on the phone,” Lue said, without identifying when. “And that’s my guy. My friend before he got here. So you don't want to see that happen to anybody, no matter what the circumstances are. But now, we gotta figure out how to win games.”
Watch that below:
Ty Lue says the report about him and Chris Paul not speaking for weeks isn’t true:
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) December 9, 2025
“That ain’t true. How he gonna play and I’m not talking to him? There was a stretch when he wasn’t gonna play and be out of the rotation, it was tough for him because he’s a competitor.”
Lue said… pic.twitter.com/QU92WVgnA5
In his first comments on the split last week, Lue said he didn't think the Clippers were a “good fit” for what Paul was looking for, but that he “didn’t wanna see it end like this.” President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank added that “Chris has a very good leadership style” and emphasized that the break-up “didn’t come down to one incident or meeting; it just wasn’t the right fit.”
Although L.A. hasn't made clear how it plans to handle Paul’s contract, the prevailing belief is that the front office will first attempt to trade him before turning to a waiver or buyout option. The 40-year-old becomes trade-eligible on Dec. 15.
To that end, the team currently intends to work with Paul to help “find him a new home,” per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
So, although this wasn't how CP3’s victory lap was supposed to go, hopefully he can finish strong on a different squad—perhaps one that could actually make a run at a title—instead.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ty Lue Addresses Report That He and Chris Paul Weren’t Speaking Before Shock Clippers Ouster.
