Chris Paul tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that he was “shocked” at the trade that sent him to Oklahoma City this summer and insists Rockets general manager Daryl Morey promised him it wouldn’t happen.
After being knocked out of the playoffs by the Warriors for a second straight year, Houston jumped at the chance to shake up its roster by acquiring Russell Westbrook from the Thunder. That meant shipping out Paul and a parcel of draft picks.
“My initial reaction?” Paul said. “I was shocked. Truth be told, I just talked to Daryl a couple days before the trade and he said he wasn’t going to trade me (to Oklahoma City). That’s funny because that is going to be the alert that pops up on everybody’s phone because nobody knows that. But what the hell, I just said it.”
Morey refused to respond to Paul’s comment, but sources close to the team told Spears that the GM informed Paul there was a “slim chance” he might be included in a Westbrook deal. Morey was hoping to make it a three-team trade and send Paul to a playoff contender such as the Heat, but no one else was willing to get involved. He also thanked Paul for his contributions to the franchise.
“Chris got us as close to winning a title as we’ve been since Hakeem Olajuwon,” Morey said. “He was a great Rocket. I wish him the best going forward. I am a big fan of Chris. I have nothing but love for him.”
Paul said his time in Houston marked two of the best seasons of his career. However, they ended in an apparent falling out with James Harden during last season’s playoffs that had many believing a breakup was coming. Paul admits he and Harden “haven’t really talked” since the trade was completed.
The next question for Paul is how long he will be with the Thunder, who are off to an 8-11 start and appear ready to rebuild after trading Westbrook and Paul George. Although the market will open up December 15 when most of the free agents who signed this summer become eligible to be traded, Paul’s contract remains a major impediment. He makes $38.5MM this season at age 34 and is owed roughly $85.5MM over the following two seasons. Spears notes that many teams are already trying to save cap space for the next loaded free agent class in 2021.
“I try to control what I can control,” Paul said. “And for me, that is preparing to play every night. Doing my workout. Doing my training. Hooping.”
All of the Harden/Rockets haters talk about sour grapes after Houston was stripped of their rightful victory last night on a terrible call by the officials that cost them the game. But the only real sour grapes here are with Chris Paul who will never get his ring after the Rockets rid themselves of his albatross of a contract.
I didn’t hear anything about sour grapes until you brought it up
They traded Harrell, Williams, Beverly, 3 first round picks and the right to swap 2 picks to get Westbrook. Thats not a win for the Rockets lol.
Being surprised to be traded isn’t sour grapes lmao
Uhh, you morons blew a 16 point 4th quarter lead. Your team was up double digits late in the 4th when that missed call happened. To blame that loss on that missed call, is the most whiniest, Rockets thing ever. No that call didn’t cost you the game. Blowing a double digits lead late did. Face it, the Rockets are trash once again, lead by ‘let me jack up every shot I can and hope some of them go in’ Harden
Also, who the hell is a Rocket or harden hater?? Have they even done anything, to warrant being hated on?? What are we hating on here, a perenial regular season team that continues to get smacked up in the playoffs?? Hillarious. I think James harden has to be one of the most overrated athletes of this generation. No, he is NOT some offensive guru. He just takes a million shots a game. Wonder why the rockets always fail in the playoffs? Because humans err, and you’re relying on step back jump shots to go in, not only for one game, but for an entire 7 game series, and then another 7 game series, and so on and so forth. Basically a mathematical probability that eventually the rockets will lose.
Watching Harden play basketball is unbelievably hard to watch. It’s just plain gross. Why would anyone watch some beardo shoot freethrows for 3 hours? No thanks.
You win in the paint. Capela was perfect from the field last night. Give him more looks!
”I’m shocked, shocked, there’s trading going on here?”. Slim chance to be traded is equivalent to the dreaded ”Vote of confidence” in the NFL. No State Farm commercials! Dealing with the reality that nobody wants CP3 or his horrible contract. CP3 got his cash, so he better enjoy it because there ain’t no Ring walking thru his door. 85.5 for the next two seasons, so enjoy it and learn to love OKC. Maybe next year they can dump him at trade deadline or buy him out…….
I think Paul should focus more on the fact that he’s quickly becoming close to irrelevant in the league rather than complaining about being shocked he was traded. Like he seems to still think he’s the superstar he was a few years ago and he just flat out isn’t that guy anymore. At this stage of his career he should probably just be happy to still be starting and that he signed a big contract years ago in his prime that’s kind of forcing the issue because if he were a FA now he wouldn’t be getting anywhere near that $
CP picked now to complain, when the Rockets with their desire for a re-do will be worse of a grossity no mattercwhat CP says.