One of the biggest moves that helped set the Oklahoma City Thunder on their current trajectory happened in 2019 when they acquired Chris Paul from the Houston Rockets.
The deal materialized days after a shocking trade with the LA Clippers that sent Paul George back home. In return, OKC received several draft picks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — who’s developed into an MVP candidate this season.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s rise can be attributed to Paul’s sole season in OKC, who took the young guard under his wing as he led the Thunder to a playoff berth. Even though Paul’s tenure with OKC worked out great for both parties, he’s still not a fan of how the deal went through.
Paul recently discussed the trade on ‘The Why With Dwyane Wade’ podcast. He claimed that former Rockets general manager Daryl Morey lied to him about his intentions to keep the future Hall-of-Famer for a third season in Houston.
“I go over to the gym to go work out, and Daryl calls me,” Paul said. “He said, ‘I was just calling you to make sure you didn’t wanna go to OKC.’ I was like, ‘No, why? I done moved 15 people to Houston.’ And he was like, ‘Okay, I was just making sure.’
“He was like, ‘I would never trade you to somewhere you didn’t want to go because you chose to come to us from the Clippers.'”
Paul later recounted how he found out about the blockbuster trade that sent him to OKC and Russell Westbrook to the Rockets, claiming he found out as everybody else did online.
“I chose to go to Houston from LA,” Paul said. “I’m at the house chilling, I was on the phone with Jada (Paul’s wife) and next thing you know (the alert) said that I was getting traded.”
After the trade broke, Paul said he received a phone call from Morey, who apologized for blindsiding him with the deal, stating the trade quickly unfolded.
“Daryl was like, ‘Hey man, it just moved so fast,'” Paul said. “I said, ‘It’s all good. I just want you to tell me one thing. You said you wasn’t going to trade me, right?’ He said, ‘Yeah, I said that, but –‘ I said, ‘That’s all I needed to know.'”
After a down season with the Rockets, Paul rejuvenated his career with the Thunder in 2019-20. He made the All-NBA second team and was subsequently traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he played in his first career NBA Finals in 2021.
