Raptors Waive Chris Paul

Toronto acquired Paul from the Clippers at last week’s trade deadline in a financially motivated deal. There was never an expectation that CP3 would suit up for the Raptors, so it was just a matter of time before this transaction occurred.

After spending last season in San Antonio and starting all 82 regular season games for the Spurs, Paul sought a team in free agency last offseason that would allow him to stay close to home in Los Angeles. He eventually came to terms with the Clippers on a one-year, minimum-salary agreement.

However, the future Hall-of-Famer’s 21st NBA season didn’t play out as planned. There was reportedly some tension over his limited role and his “abrasive” locker-room presence. With the Clippers off to a dismal start to the season, they announced in early December that they were “parting ways” with Paul, who would remain on the roster but would no longer be around the team.

L.A. didn’t want to waive Paul, since it would mean eating his guaranteed salary and leaving his $2.3MM cap hit on the team’s books, compromising the front office’s ability to make additional moves around the edges of the roster. Eventually, the Clippers got involved in a three-team deadline deal with the Raptors and Nets that allowed them to move off Paul’s minimum-salary contract while Toronto shed Ochai Agbaji‘s expiring $6.4MM salary in order to duck out of luxury tax territory.

Waiving Paul will create an open spot on the Raptors’ 15-man roster, with no urgency to fill it until at least the end of the All-Star break — and perhaps even later than that. Toronto will have the option of perusing the buyout market for a veteran free agent or perhaps elevating a two-way player like Alijah Martin to the standard roster.

As for Paul, he seems unlikely to be claimed on waivers, given that the Clippers were unable to find a taker for his minimum-salary contract for two months and eventually had to send out $3.5MM in cash to trade him. Assuming he clears waivers on Sunday and becomes an unrestricted free agent, the 40-year-old would be free to sign with any NBA team except the Clippers.