Chris Paul says he was ‘shocked’ by trade from Rockets to Thunder

Chris Paul says he was shocked by his July trade to Oklahoma City and that he hasn’t really talked with Rockets star James Harden since.

Former Houston Rockets point guard Chris Paul says he was “shocked” by the July 11 trade that sent him (and draft considerations) to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Russell Westbrook.

Speaking with Marc J. Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated, Paul said he had heard rumors in prior days that he could be traded to Oklahoma City, but that Rockets GM Daryl Morey had told him he would return to Houston.

Spears writes:

“My initial reaction?” Paul said with a laugh. “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.”

According to Spears, sources close to the Rockets contend Morey told Paul days before the trade that there was a “slim chance” he could be dealt to the Thunder, and that message could have been misinterpreted.

Morey hoped that the Thunder would add a third team, such as the Miami Heat, to the deal to avoid having the 34-year-old play for a rebuilding team in Oklahoma City, according to Spears. But that did not occur.

Paul told Spears that he hadn’t “really talked” since the trade with Rockets star James Harden, who clearly supported the move since it brought in the 30-year-old Westbrook, a close friend.

Regarding his current relationship with Harden, Paul said:

It’s life. It happens. It is what it is. But I wish him nothing but the best.

A nine-time NBA All-Star, Paul averaged 17.1 points and 8.0 assists in 31.9 minutes per game across two seasons in Houston from 2017 through 2019. In the 2017-18 season, Paul was a co-star alongside Harden for a squad that went a franchise-best 65-17 (.793) in the regular season.

Those Rockets then pushed the defending NBA champion Warriors to the brink in the Western Conference Finals before losing Paul to a pulled hamstring, which occurred with the Rockets up 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. With the future Hall of Famer out, the Warriors rallied to take the next two games to win the series, and ultimately that year’s NBA title.

Regarding Paul, Morey told Spears:

Chris got us as close to winning a title as we’ve been since Hakeem Olajuwon. 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 is averaging 15.7 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in 30.5 minutes per game this season with the Thunder (8-11). His current deal pays him an average of more than $40 million annually while keeping him under contract through the 2021-22 season, which to this point has limited his market desirability to true title contenders.

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