Tyronn Lue Reveals The Reason Behind Chris Paul's Consistent Absence From the Clippers Lineup

This offseason, Chris Paul returned to the Los Angeles Clippers in a reunion that had many excited, given the new core that leads the way for the Clippers. With James Harden running the point, many were excited to see CP3 in a role as the sixth man off the bench, but to this point, the veteran guard has missed three straight games.

These were not injury-related, and it had some fans concerned about CP3's role within the organization. Now, head coach Tyronn Lue has clarified that Paul knew he wasn't an everyday player coming into the 2025–26 campaign.

"Just his leadership. Talking to the guys, talking to the coaches about what he sees, what we can do better. Before we acquired him, we told him he wasn't gonna be an every-night guy. He understood that."

In eight games played this season, Paul has averaged just 2 points in 13 minutes per night, but with Bradley Beal going down for the season, there's a chance his role may now increase moving forward. At 40 years of age, it makes sense for Paul to limit his workload, especially given his injury history, but given how the Clippers have struggled, it may be time for a change.

This has the potential to be the final season in the storied career of Chris Paul, and while he's not going out on top like many want him to, he has his role to play, and given his experience, it appears as though he's happy to play that moving forward.