Clippers Reportedly Trading Chris Paul to Rockets Sends Twitter into a Frenzy
The Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets reportedly struck a blockbuster deal Wednesday that will send point guard Chris Paul to Houston.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Paul opted in to his contract after informing the Clippers he would sign with Houston, and the Rockets traded Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, Lou Williams and a 2018 first-round pick to L.A.
CP3 will join forces with James Harden, which was a major catalyst for much of the Twitter reaction that occurred after the trade report.
Bleacher Report's Dan Favale pointed out that the Rockets now essentially have two top-flight point guards on their hands:
ESPN's Mina Kimes joked that Harden and Paul will have to find a way to coexist despite both commanding the ball:
HBO's Bill Simmons weighed in on the fact that it could be difficult for two alpha males like Paul and Harden to work together effectively:
Aaron Dodson of ESPN's The Undefeated tweeted a GIF of how he sees Harden's reaction to being moved away from the point guard position:
Regardless, the Rockets undoubtedly got one of the NBA's most productive players, as evidenced by this tweet from ESPN Stats & Info:
Foot Locker tweeted a perfect representation of Twitter's reaction to the trade, using CP3's former Clippers teammate, Blake Griffin:
FanDuel got in on the act with a tweet that captured the excitement of Rockets fans:
Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James chimed in on the trade and wished Paul luck in Houston:
Paul Pierce, Rudy Gobert and Chandler Parsons all got in on the action, too. Gobert focused on how easy the game is about to become for center Clint Capela, while Pierce and Parsons both referenced past meme-worthy moments that caused their respective Twitter feeds to erupt:
The Clippers did all they could to get something in return for Paul rather than allowing him to walk, but the Greek Sportsbook was unimpressed with L.A.'s haul:
Beverley is among those heading to the Clippers, and he is excited about the opportunity:
"Let's get it Clippers!!! Let's get it!!!!
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) June 28, 2017"
The same can be said for Dekker, who reflected on his time with the Rockets:
"Houston, thanks for welcoming me with open arms. I gave my all every time I was on the court. Time to get to work for LA! #Clips
— Sam Dekker (@dekker) June 28, 2017"
Paul has been part of some huge trades during his NBA career, but NFL Network's Adam Rank referenced the trade that never was between the New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers in 2011:
CP3 helped build the Clippers into a winning franchise, and he was crucial in attracting other key players to the team.
Paul was instrumental in keeping DeAndre Jordan from signing with the Dallas Mavericks, so forcing his way out of Los Angeles didn't sit well with Justin Termine of SiriusXM NBA:
Although Paul makes the Rockets a more dangerous team, Robert Mays of The Ringer still doesn't think Houston will get past the Spurs come playoff time:
Paul averaged 18.1 points and 9.2 assists per game last season, and he has long been a consistent force at both ends of the floor.
Now that he is joining forces with the likes of Harden, Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, Trevor Ariza and others, he will have an opportunity to distribute to some great shooters and make Houston one of the NBA's toughest teams to defend.
