Chris Paul traded to Raptors, will not report to Toronto: report

Chris Paul has been traded to the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors acquired the veteran point guard in a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.

As part of the deal, the Raptors will send Ochai Agbaji, a 2032 second-round pick and cash to the Brooklyn Nets.

Sportsnet’s Michael Grange reported that Paul will not report to Toronto. The Raptors are expected to try and use Paul’s $3.3 million salary in any other deals, but if he is not traded, he will be waived and become a free agent.

Most importantly, the deal gets the Raptors out of the luxury tax.

The 40-year-old Paul signed a one-year deal to return to the Clippers prior to the season.

But in early December, the team and Paul decided to part ways over a disagreement in leadership style.

Paul had been vocal in holding management accountable amid a 5-16 start, good for 14th in the conference, per Charania. The Clippers felt Paul’s outspokenness was becoming disruptive.

He announced before the season that he was retiring at the end of this season. In the 16 games he suited up for with the Clippers, he averaged 14.3 minutes and 2.9 points per game.

One of the most impactful two-way guards in league history, Paul has 12 all-star, 11 all-NBA and nine all-defensive selections to his name. He is also a five-time assist and a six-time steals champion, and was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, chosen in 2021.