Chris Paul reveals how Daryl Morey lied to and betrayed him in Houston / News - Basketnews.com

Chris Paul reveals that Daryl Morey lied to him by saying he wouldn't trade him to OKC and says Morey has "no people skills."

Credit: AFP – Scanpix Credit AFP – Scanpix

Chris Paul's stint with the Houston Rockets took an unexpected turn when he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, ending his two-season tenure.

Chris Paul

Team:Golden State WarriorsPosition:PGAge:38Height:183 cmWeight:79 kgBirth place:North Carolina, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

In a recent appearance on Dwyane Wade's podcast, "The Why with Dwyane Wade," Paul revealed a twist in the trade saga.

According to the 38-year-old veteran, Daryl Morey, the then-Rockets GM, had assured him he wouldn't be traded to the Thunder.

"I go over to the gym to go work out, and Daryl calls 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 [Paul's wife], and next thing you know 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.'"

The trade sent Paul to the Thunder in exchange for picks and Russell Westbrook.

Eighteen months later, in November 2020, Paul experienced another move, this time becoming a key part of a significant player trade that took him to the Phoenix Suns. Eventually, Paul found himself with his current team, Golden State Warriors.

In the same podcast, Paul also discussed the emotional meeting with Carmelo Anthony during his time in Houston, highlighting Morey's purported disrespectful approach when informing Melo about his release.

"If you know Daryl Morey, no people skills, real talk, you know what I'm saying. He don't really understand how to talk to people," Paul noted. "So as soon as Melo told me that [he was released], I got Jada, my kids, and we got up; I said, Rudy [Gay], I gotta go. I went back to the hotel, called Melo, went to his room, knocked on the door or what not, and I was in there with Melo for a long time, a couple of hours.

"And Melo was in tears, and I know how much he gave to the game, but throughout the whole process of him coming to Houston -- me and Melo would talk about… all this stuff, I never said this is going to happen or not going to happen. So he tells me what happens with Daryl, and I was like what? He came in his room told him he'd get him a flight back to New York, how do you say this to this man? Some of the most disrespectful s**t I've seen."

Full podcast:

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