Star point guard Chris Paul was traded from the Clippers to the Rockets on Tuesday, in a deal that will make the Rockets even more competitive in the Western Conference.
The Rockets are undoubtedly happy about the deal, but why did the Clippers trade one of their best players? According to ESPN’s Michael Eaves, it’s because Paul hates Clippers coach Doc Rivers and how Rivers has managed his son, Austin.
Here's some information on the Chris Paul trade. First the MICRO:Paul's relationship with Doc Rivers started to…
Posted by Michael Eaves on Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Here’s the guts of that post.
Paul’s relationship with Doc Rivers started to deteriorate rapidly after the Clippers acquired Austin Rivers. Several members of the team felt Austin acted entitled because his dad was both the coach and the President of Basketball Operations. In the view of the tenured players, Austin Rivers never tried to fit in, and when players tried to address the situation with him, he still did not respond the way the core of the team wanted him to. It led to resentment within the locker room, which often played out during games. One of Paul’s biggest contentions with Doc was that Paul, and other players, felt Doc treated Austin more favorably than other players. He would yell at guys for certain things during games and practices, but not get on Austin in the same manner for similar transgressions.
But what really solidified Paul’s dissatisfaction with Doc was a proposed trade involving Carmelo Anthony last season. New York offered Carmelo and Sasha Vujacic to the Clippers in exchange for Jamal Crawford, Paul Pierce and Austin Rivers, a deal to which Rivers ultimately said no. That event led Paul to feel that keeping his son on the roster was more important to Doc than improving the team. So, ultimately, Paul lost both trust and faith in Doc. As one league executive put it, “Chris despises Doc.”
Oh man, that’s a lot. It has to be tough to coach your own son, but you can’t show any favoritism toward him. You definitely can’t turn down a trade your team wants just to keep your son around, though it’s unclear if that’s actually what happened, or just Paul’s perception.
Regardless, it seems like this trade was for the best for everyone. Well, maybe except Blake Griffin.
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