It appeared to be just another slow day before the floodgates of free agency were to be opened. What could possibly transpire just hours before NHL and NBA free agents become incredibly overpaid? Just a blockbuster involving Chris Paul… that’s all.
In a move that nobody envisioned happening so early, Chris Paul forced the LA Clippers’ hand into dealing him away to Houston. At 11:37am on June 28th, 2017, the Woj bomb was dropped.
After Chris Paul agreed to opt-in on contract, Clippers are trading All-Star guard to the Houston Rockets, league sources tell @TheVertical
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2017
Now, I have no idea if CP3 was sick of the powder, women, and fame, but for one reason or another he felt the need to go from Hollywood to H-Town. This is the same Chris Paul who basically sucked off DeAndre Jordan in hopes of keeping their “big three” together. Two years later, he bolts.
The details of the trade can be found in this Yahoo article, but if you live under a rock or are too lazy to read, I’ll give you the essentials. CP3 opted in to the final year of his contract in order to be traded to the Rockets for Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker, and a 2018 first-round pick (protected 1-3).
Who Wins This Trade?
I had no idea what to think about this trade initially. To me, this was a lose-lose trade. Clippers are waving the white flag, and this should officially mark the end of Blake Griffin’s days in a Clippers uniform. DeAndre Jordan is now stuck in LA with nobody to lob him passes and actually make him look like a top tier NBA player. The Rockets, on the other hand, now own two of the most “ball-hungry” basketball players in the league. Also, the Harden point-guard experiment went so well, why revert him back to shooting guard?
After noticing my thinking cap sitting patiently beside me, I decided to put it on. The Clippers are a choke franchise as it is. They could never seem to get past the second round of the playoffs, and one of Paul or Griffin always went down with an injury when it mattered. This team was not going to challenge the Warriors, Spurs, or Rockets, even if they kept their core intact. I then read this tweet from the often-forgotten other part of The Vertical, Bobby Marks:
LAC could have $70m+ in room during the summer of 2018. Slate would be wiped clean to put a plan in place for the future.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 28, 2017
When you put it in that context, the move doesn’t seem all that bad for the Clippers. They actually get a return for CP3, and gear up to spend on free agents and develop young talent such as Beverley and Dekker. That first-round pick is a nice addition too.
Paul is also a perfect fit in Houston – aka Choke City. They can choke all day and all night. Embody the choke, Chris. Let it flow through you. When it comes to the fit with his playing style, I’m left as confused as I was when Bruce Jenner turned into Caitlyn Jenner. Another ball hog that will make the Raptors’ ISO game seem like a joke. Don’t believe me? Here are the numbers to prove it:
Touches last season:
James Harden 99.2 (2)
Chris Paul 86.2 (8)Average second per touch:
Harden 5.4 (5)
Paul 4.98 (18)(League rank)
— Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) June 28, 2017
Granted, they can both pass the ball with the best of them, but something has got to give. Holding the ball for that long and constantly demanding it will lead to a stagnant offence. CP3 and Harden are going to have to shoot the shit and figure this out. I’m sure Paul will lock Harden up in his house until he gets the result he wants.
Super-Teams Are Here To Stay
It’s funny how all NBA fans bitch and complain about the unfair super-teams, yet get raging boners over new ones being created. The new rumor is that the Rockets are pushing hard for Paul George after the CP3 acquisition. The other rumor was that CP3 actually wanted to join the Cavs first, but when that option was not available, he asked to join the Rockets. Ring chasing is the new wave in the NBA, so either embrace it or shut the hell up. I know that fans of every other team would be defending the super-team concept if it was their team that was under fire. Does it suck if your team isn’t a super-team? Absolutely. Your season is basically all but over after the season-opening tipoff.
The benchmark has been set: beat the warriors. Will Chris Paul be the one who can help the Rockets finally win the Western Conference? My money is on the negative. Enjoy the Wild West, cowboy.
