Column: Chris Paul’s exit leaves a hole in the heart of Clipper Nation

For six dramatic seasons, he was the first true shining symbol of Clipper hope.

In one stunning moment Wednesday, he became just another monument to Clipper devastation.

Chris Paul has bolted town, and the Clipper Curse lives.

The best player in Clippers history has forced his way to the Houston Rockets, and the Clippers are suddenly in danger of becoming the Clippers again.

Shortly before the beginning of a free-agency period during which the Clippers were expected to re-sign their leader, Paul abruptly turned his back on the team, the town, and millions in immediate money for what he perceives is a better chance at a championship.

Paul told the Clippers he was going to walk to Houston once he became a free agent, so the Clippers avoided losing him for nothing by sending him to the Rockets on Wednesday for a bunch of players and a 2018 first-round pick that will be ridiculously low.

In a star-driven town, the Clippers were forced to give up their biggest star for no stars, some nice players but nobody even guaranteed to be on the team after this season. This was not a basketball deal, it was damage control. This was not a trade made with promise, but in pain. If Chris Paul was indeed the face of the Clippers, his final expression was a sneer.

Yes, the Clippers needed to reshape the roster after six consecutive early playoff failures. Absolutely, they should have broken up the All-Star threesome of Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in order to create a better chemistry and stronger culture.

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Chris Paul, left, puts up a shot in front of Philadelphia 76ers forward Malcolm Thomas on Jan. 3, 2015. Paul, who was acquired by the Clippers in 2011, is considered one of the NBA’s top point guards.  (Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images)

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Chris Paul as sophomore at Wake Forest during a loss to Maryland in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in 2004.  (Bob Jordan / Associated Press)

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Paul, then a Hornet, dribbles on a fastbreak during the NBA All-Star Rookie Challenge in Las Vegas on Feb. 16, 2007.  (Larry W. Smith / EPA)

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Paul, left, tries to shoot over San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker during Game 1 of the 2008 Western Conference semifinals.  (Ann Heisenfelt / Associated Press)

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Paul during a game against the Golden State Warriors in Oklahoma City on Nov. 7, 2006.  (Ty Russell / Associated Press)

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Paul, playing for the New Orleans Hornets, watches another player shoot free throws during a game against the New Jersey Nets in 2010.   (Bill Kostroun / Associated Press)

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Lakers guard Derek Fisher, left, tries to pass in front of Paul during Game 2 of the 2011 Western Conference quarterfinals.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Paul, left, tries to regain control of the ball in front of Lakers guard Steve Blake during Game 6 of the 2011 NBA Western Conference quarterfinals.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Paul, left, knocks the ball away from Lakers center Andrew Bynum during Game 5 of the Western Conference quarterfinals in 2011.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Paul was introduced as a Clipper at the team’s practice facility in Playa Vista on Dec. 15, 2011.  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Clippers teammates, from left, Chauncey Billups, Paul and Blake Griffin share a light moment while speaking to reporters after a preseason scrimmage at the Galen Center on Dec. 18, 2011.  (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, greets Paul before a preseason game at Staples Center on Dec. 19, 2011.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Paul, left, works with Coach Vinny Del Negro during a team scrimmage at the Galen Center on Dec. 18, 2011.  (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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Paul, center, battles Memphis Grizzlies Mike Conley, left, and Tony Adams for the ball during Game 7 of the 2012 Western Conference quarterfinals.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Randolph, right, knocks the ball away from Paul, center, as O.J. Mayo trails the play during Game 4 of the 2012 Western Conference quarterfinals.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Paul, left, drives to the basket in front of Lakers guard Steve Nash during a game at Staples Center on Jan. 4, 2013.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Paul drives to the basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center on Jan. 30, 2012.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Paul, center, stands with his Clippers teammates during the national anthem before an exhibition game against the Lakers at Staples Center on Dec. 19, 2011.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka, left, grabs a loose ball that was mishandled by Paul to end Game 5 of the 2014 Western Conference semifinals.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Paul runs onto the court for the Clippers before the team’s season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center on Oct. 30, 2014.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Paul, left, tries to cover Lakers guard Kobe Bryant at Staples Center on Oct. 31, 2014.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Paul, left, laughs with actor and comedian Kevin Hart after a win over the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center on Dec. 25, 2014.  (Danny Moloshok / Associated Press)

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Paul, right, tries to steal the ball from Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside at Staples Center on Jan. 11, 2015.  (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

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Clippers forward Blake Griffin, left, and Paul head to the bench during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Staples Center on Jan. 16, 2015.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

But Paul was the guy they were going to keep. Paul was the guy they viewed as their cornerstone. He’s 32, he’s still one of the best players in the league, and he was universally loved throughout Clipper Nation.

They had already dangled Jordan in a trade. They had already resigned themselves to losing Griffin. They were focused on keeping Paul.

But the headstrong Paul obviously had other ideas, even if that idea will cost him $10 million this season as he now has to wait a year to receive the five-year max contract from the Rockets.

From all reports, Paul didn’t like the idea of playing with Griffin, no longer loved playing for Doc Rivers, and generally didn’t think the organization was moving in the right direction. Paul reportedly complained that Doc Rivers showed favoritism to son Austin Rivers, and was perhaps mad last season that Rivers wouldn’t trade for Paul’s buddy Carmelo Anthony, but this was bigger than that.

Bottom line, Paul apparently just didn’t like playing here despite six years of statements to the contrary, and what does that say about the future of the franchise?

Think about it. A great NBA player has just walked away from a team whose braintrust includes one of the NBA’s richest owners in Steve Ballmer, one of the league’s greatest minds in Jerry West, and a championship coach in Rivers.

If all this is not good enough for Chris Paul, how is it going to be good enough for other stars? Now that he’s scorched the earth behind him, how many top free agents would be dying to take his place?

And what does all this do to Rivers’ reputation? And his desire to remain mired in this muck? How much longer will he want to stick around a place where he apparently couldn’t connect with his best player?

There is some thought that the Clippers had received hints that Paul might leave, and perhaps that’s one reason they’re paying West nearly $5 million a year for two years. They knew that a storm was coming, and they needed to West to limit the damage.

Their first job will be to re-sign Griffin. He’s injury prone, he doesn’t possess the three-point shooting skills required of forwards in today’s NBA, and he’s not the kind of leader that a team can rally around. But without him, they have little chance of being even remotely interesting.

Next, they start planning on shedding salary and clearing space for the glittering free-agent class of the summer of 2018. But again, by then, what was once an attractive championship-caliber destination could once again be an embittered basketball wasteland.

The Clippers had their chance at greatness. As of Wednesday, that window is now slammed shut, with the team forced to press its nose against the glass while watching Chris Paul scurry off into a hazy sunset.

bill.plaschke@latimes.com

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