Chris Paul Mad at the Clippers He Was Blamed for Vinny Del Negro Firing

Everyone knows that the LA Clippers decided to let head coach Vinny Del Negro go in a desperate attempt to retain Chris Paul. Hell, even the team’s owner basically admitted as much, and VDN certainly knows what took place. According to ESPN, CP3 is furious that the Clippers haven’t stepped in to deflect the blame off of him: “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.’ It has been widely assumed that Paul will re-sign with the Clippers this summer. He often has spoken as if it’s a foregone conclusion. Plus, the Clippers can offer him a five-year, $108 million deal, $28 million more than any other club. But the source said he would not put it past Paul to turn down more money if he feels strongly that he’s been slighted. […] A source with knowledge of the situation said Paul refused to get involved in the Clippers’ coaching situation and that he wanted nothing to do with the decision to retain or release Del Negro. ‘Chris made it abundantly clear to the Clippers that he did not want to be involved in any decision about Vinny’s future,’ the source said. ‘And Blake (Griffin) had nothing to do with it, either.’ The source said the Clippers’ front office was at odds with Del Negro for much of the season and that its differences with him were so strong that the executives did not need to consult Paul or any other players when deciding on Del Negro’s future with the team. One divide between Del Negro and the front office stemmed from the fact that the ex-coach made trade calls to other clubs during the season, according to a source. As the February trade deadline neared, the source said Del Negro discussed a potential deal with the Boston Celtics that would have sent DeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe to Boston for Kevin Garnett. The rumor became major news around the league, even though the Clippers’ front office was staunchly against the trade.”