Chris Paul trade opens doors to true tensions behind closed doors
By Keith Rivas
Apparently, it wasn’t all peaches and cream before the Chris Paul trade.
When news broke of the Chris Paul trade to Houston on Wednesday morning, one intriguing detail has emerged. Instead of staying in Los Angeles, Paul decided to tell the team that he was going to Houston.
In return, the Clippers made a trade work out. Thanks to the deal, Paul will now get his shot at a ring. It’s something the point guard has wanted since coming into the league, and thought he’d achieve in LA.
According to a report from RealGM, the relationship between he and head coach Doc Rivers wasn’t wonderful. In fact, it had a turn for the worse when Carmelo Anthony didn’t come to LA.
Per the report:
"Paul and other members of the Clippers felt Rivers didn’t treat his son the same way as he did the rest of the players on the team.When Doc Rivers decided not to trade for Carmelo Anthony in a trade that would have included Austin Rivers, Paul’s position on the matter solidified as he viewed the Rivers as putting family over team.“Chris despises Doc,” said one league executive."
That is not a small accusation to make. If the Clippers had traded for Carmelo Anthony in the aforementioned deal, Los Angeles would’ve been a force to be reckoned with. Hate goes a long way, too.
Much like D’Angelo Russell not paying much mind to Magic Johnson after being dealt to Brooklyn, it’s hard to see this mattering to Chris Paul in the long run. Now he is in a new city, new team, but the same goal.
Houston has to keep in mind that a good relationship between player and coach will keep them from derailing. Now that they’ve got the star power they wanted, keeping chemistry strong is an absolute must.
However, as for Los Angeles, it shows how far they have to go in the more immediate future.
Perhaps we’ll see a better version of Chris Paul now that he’s out of the haze. Doc Rivers could be on his way out as well.
Next: 3 Reasons LA Won CP3 Trade
Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick are also on the table in free agency, and the best part is that summer is just getting started.