Chris Paul’s claim that Daryl Morey lied to him about OKC trade goes viral following James Harden’s explosive rant
James Harden publicly announced that he is never going to work with Daryl Morey again, creating incredible shockwaves. Besides the intent behind the statement, the comment that "Daryl Morey is a liar" has caused fans to go into meltdown.
An ex-teammate of Harden's, Chris Paul, had also come out with a similar statement back in 2019.
Daryl Morey, the then-GM of the Houston Rockets, was working on building a team around Harden and Paul to win the Western Wonference. They had reached the summit a few times without breaking through. They needed a feC minor adjustments.
But then out of nowhere, CP3 was traded to the rebuilding OKC Thunder despite getting verbal reassurance from Morey before the trade that nothing of that sort was going to happen.
"My initial reaction?" Paul said, according to Marc J. Spears from Undefeated. "I was shocked. Truth be told, I just talked to Daryl a couple of days before the trade, and he said he wasn't going to trade me."
If the 2017-18 season was a success, the 2018-19 was nothing short of a disaster. The Rockets ran a less-fluid offense, focusing mainly on Harden and his stepback 3s. Attacks became very predictable, and Chris Paul was visibly upset. He was seen many times livid with the coach and his teammates, forcing Daryl Morey to play his hand.
Houston went 65-17 in 2017-18, finishing with the best record in the Western Confernce. But Houston lost in seven games in the Western finals to the eventual NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors. (CP3 missed the final two games with an injury, both losses as the Rockets squandered a 3-2 lead.)
The Rockets went 53-29 in 2018-19, losing in the Western semifinals in six games to Golden State, which reached the NBA Finals again.
Daryl Morey is facing a similar situation with James Harden
Having worked with him previously, James Harden and Daryl Morey have a love-hate relationship. Harden's initial years in Houston were greatly successful as he stepped out of Kevin Durant and Rusell Westbrook's shadow and made a name for himself.
He became a superstar of the league. And then his GM had to step in and intervene from him becoming bigger than the team. He was shipped off to Brooklyn in 2021, a year after Morey took a job with the Philadelphia 76ers.
They were reunited during the 2021-22 trade deadline. The first few months of that season went well, showing signs of better things to come. Last season had its ups and downs, but Harden no longer felt like he could work with Morey and the team.
Demanding a trade to the LA Clippers, he was vocal about moving out, but is being held back in Philly against his will. James Harden calling his GM a liar is a repeat of what transpired between his ex-teammate and the GM just four years ago.