'Daryl Told Me A Couple Days Before He Wouldn't Trade Me To OKC' - Chris Paul, Still Baffled The Rockets Actually Traded Him

[Source] - “My initial reaction?” Paul said with a laugh. “I was shocked. Truth be told, I just talked to Daryl a couple days before the trade and he said he wasn’t going to trade me [to Oklahoma City]. That’s funny because that is going to be the alert that pops up on everybody’s phone because nobody knows that. But what the hell, I just said it.”

I'm not going to lie - I'm a Chris Paul fan. Love watching the dude play, nut shots and all. So first things first, I love the self awareness here of him saying he knows this will pop up on everybody's phone because 'nobody knows that Morey said he wouldn't trade him to OKC.' But is that true? I feel like everyone heard some variation of this story before, no? 

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In that interview he says that he felt stabbed in the back. There was this interview: 

So it seems like CP at least has a bit of a leg to stand on when he says that he was shocked. But here's the thing, with that contract there were only a handful of places he could be traded to. Then when you hear that it was trading for Russ, it just makes sense. I mean how many other teams would be willing to trade for Chris Paul? Hint: we'll find out in about a month when trades really start to happen in the NBA. 

I'm actually wildly intrigued by this whole trade too. I'm fascinated by the behind the scenes work for how this shit goes down and I want to hear people say they are shocked, pissed, whatever. It's a business, yes, but it's also an individual thing when you get traded. 

Also this is the least shocking statement ever: 

It is no secret that Paul and Harden did not see eye to eye last season. Sources said the two feuded when the Rockets lost to the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the 2019 playoffs. Paul acknowledged that he and Harden “haven’t really talked” since he was traded

So what do we think here? Do we really think he was shocked? I mean he had to know he was getting traded with everything, no?