Haynes shed light on the meaning behind Chris Paul's cryptic social media post from late November.
During an appearance on NBA on Prime, Haynes reported what led to tension between Paul and Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy.
According to Haynes, Van Gundy confronted Paul following the team's November 29 loss to the Dallas Mavericks after the veteran point guard suggested that Kawhi Leonard switch off Klay Thompson on defense because Leonard wasn't warmed up yet.
"I was told that Jeff Van Gundy told Chris Paul listen you might have had leeway in other places to be able to change up defensive coverages but you don't have that leeway here," Haynes said.
The next day, Paul posted a screenshot of the dictionary definition of "leeway" to his Instagram story, which left fans confused at the time but now makes complete sense.
The Perception vs. The Other Side
When the Clippers released Paul on December 3, the move was met with widespread criticism, and the perception around the league was that Los Angeles had disrespected a future Hall of Famer and one of the greatest point guards in NBA history.
Paul himself told Haynes he was "scarred" by the sudden exit.
However, this new information tells another side of the story.
The Clippers coaching staff, including head coach Tyronn Lue and Van Gundy, reportedly felt that Paul was going behind their backs and influencing teammates to do things that went against what the coaches wanted.
From their point of view, a player changing defensive assignments on the fly without the coaching staff's approval could undermine the entire system they're trying to build, and that's true regardless of how accomplished that player might be.
Van Gundy was brought in specifically as a defensive coordinator to improve the Clippers' defense, and he has always been known for running a tight ship.
Where Things Stand Now
The Clippers currently sit at 6-16 and hold the 13th spot in the Western Conference standings. They snapped a five-game losing streak with a 115-92 win over the Atlanta Hawks on December 3, their first game without Paul on the roster, but then lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on December 5th.
James Harden continues to lead the way for Los Angeles, averaging 26.5 points and 8.4 assists per game this season.
Leonard has been putting up 25.8 points per game when healthy, but the team has struggled to find any consistency.
As for Paul, who averaged just 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in 16 games this season before his release, he remains a free agent and says he's staying ready for whatever comes next.
Whether another team will give him the leeway he's used to remains to be seen.