Remember when Rockets general manager Daryl Morey was telling everyone that Chris Paul didn't want out of Houston and that the point guard would be playing for the team next season?
Yeah, that was a long three weeks ago.
Morey traded Paul and two future first-round draft picks to the Thunder on Thursday in exchange for Russell Westbrook. The move was a stunning reversal of what Morey told the media in June after it was reported that Paul had asked to be dealt.
A thoroughly exasperated Daryl Morey said Chris Paul and his reps have never asked to trade him and he will be on Rockets next season. Said he and Harden do not have issues with one another and that he has spoken to both often this off-season about free agency evaluations, plans.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) June 18, 2019
Just spoke to Daryl Morey. He reiterated there has been no trade demand from Chris Paul. "Tweet that I said that. Print it. Tweet it twice." https://t.co/oo6ge0Wkop
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) June 19, 2019
It isn't clear whether Paul forced this move, but even if he did, Morey couldn't pass up reuniting Westbrook and James Harden.
MORE: Will CP3's stay in OKC be short?
Put it this way: Rockets fans shouldn't care too much whether Morey was, um, fibbing when he made those comments, not when Russ wound up being on the other end of the deal.
