It is obvious that the LA Clippers’ preference all along would have been to waive Chris Paul. They easily did so with RayJ Dennis, but because of his standard contract and strict restrictions that have LA against a wall, Jake Fischer reported on ‘The Stein Line’ that the Clippers could help Paul become an unrestricted free agent through the trade and waiver process.
Hypothetically, if James Harden is traded in a blockbuster deal, the Clippers may kindly request the favor to include the 40-year-old, where all three parties(LA, trade partner, and Paul) have a mutual understanding that free agency is what he desires; likely not the former MVP's next destination.