Days Before Acquiring Russell Westbrook, Rockets GM Daryl Morey Promised Chris Paul He Won’t Be Traded To OKC
After suffering another massive defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Playoffs, the Houston Rockets decided to part ways with Chris Paul in the 2019 NBA offseason. The Rockets ended up sending Paul and multiple draft picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Russell Westbrook. While most weren’t surprised by Paul’s departure from Houston, it apparently was a shock to the man himself.
Though he had heard his name being mentioned in various trade rumors since the start of the 2019 NBA offseason, Paul admitted in a recent interview with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that he was caught off guard by the blockbuster deal. Paul revealed that he was “shocked” after learning about the trade since Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey promised him that he wouldn’t be traded to the Thunder.
“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 and the Rockets were indeed planning to keep Paul in Houston for another season, but everything changed when Westbrook became available. As much as they wanted Paul to stay, Morey believed that acquiring a younger and MVP-caliber point guard like Westbrook was too good to pass up. Before the deal with the Thunder became official, Morey hoped to find a third team to join the trade, so Paul could go to a legitimate title contender. Unfortunately, during that time, no team expressed an interest in helping the Thunder and the Rockets facilitate the blockbuster deal.
With the Thunder likely headed into an inevitable rebuild, the 34-year-old point guard is clearly an odd fit on their roster. However, Paul doesn’t seem to have any problem being part of the rebuilding process and is just enjoying his stint in Oklahoma City.
“I love to hoop too much,” Paul said. “The way my mind is, as long as we’re on the court we have a chance to win. That’s the way I’ve always been. That’s the way I always will be.”
Despite losing Westbrook and Paul George in the 2019 NBA offseason, the Thunder still have enough talent to compete for a playoff spot in the deep Western Conference. Unfortunately, as of now, they are struggling to consistently win games, currently sitting in the No. 10 spot in the Western Conference with an 8-12 record. If they fail to find a way to end their struggle and see themselves out of the playoff picture, the Thunder could become more aggressive in moving Paul and other veterans before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline.
