Point guard legend Chris Paul, who currently plays for the Golden State Warriors, was guest on Dwyane Wade’s podcast ‘the why’, and raised some major eyebrows when claiming that Daryl Morey, the former general manager of the Houston Rockets, lied to him about a trade that sent him to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019.
Paul said that Morey had assured him that he would not trade him to the Thunder, and even asked him if he wanted to go there, to which Paul replied no. However, a few days later, Paul received an alert on his phone that he was traded to the Thunder, along with some draft picks, in exchange for Russell Westbrook.
Paul said he was shocked and felt stabbed in the back by Morey, who did not keep his word.
I go over to the gym to go work out and Daryl call me…He said ‘I was just calling you to make sure you didn’t wanna go to OKC.’ I was like, ‘No, why I don’ 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’—
…I chose to go to Houston from LA. I’m at the house chilling, I was on the phone with Jada [Chris’ wife] and next thing you know [the alert] said that I was getting traded [to OKC].
And then my phone started ringing and it was Daryl calling. So I ain’t know…Daryl was like, ‘Hey man, it just moves so fast.’ 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.’”
Paul’s revelation is the latest example of how NBA players can be deceived by team executives, who often prioritize business over loyalty. Paul spent only two seasons with the Rockets, where he formed a dynamic duo with James Harden, but failed to reach the NBA Finals.
He then played one season with the Thunder, where he led them to a surprising playoff appearance, before being traded again to the Phoenix Suns, where he reached the Finals for the first time in his career in 2021. He signed with the Warriors as a free agent in 2023.
