Chris Paul on Dwyane Wade Joining LeBron James, Cavs: 'I Want to Beat Them Bad'

Chris Paul is happy that his friends LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have reunited on the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he told reporters Thursday he won't take any mercy on his banana-boat pals when they meet on the floor this season.                

"I told them guys congrats," Paul said, per Locked On Rockets' Ben DuBose. "At the end of the day, I know [Carmelo Anthony] wants to beat them bad. I want to beat them bad. They want to beat us bad. It is what it is." 

With the exception of James, every member of the banana-boat crew changed teams this offseason: Wade is with Cleveland, Paul resides in Houston and Anthony teamed up with Russell Westbrook and Paul George in Oklahoma City. 

At his introductory press conference Friday, Wade said the Cavaliers stood out when he evaluated his options after he reached a buyout agreement with the Chicago Bulls. 

"Once I got the opportunity to get the buyout, I looked around, and I was flattered by the teams that reached out, but at the end of the day, this is where I wanted to be. This is where I felt I should be from a basketball perspective to come in and be a part of this," Wade said, per ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin. "This team right here from top to bottom is one of the most talented teams I've been on. Just happy to come and to be able to add whatever I can to this group."

Paul and the Rockets will get their first crack at the new-look Cavaliers on Nov. 9, when the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions come to the Toyota Center for a showdown on TNT. 

The teams' only other clash, barring a meeting in the 2018 NBA Finals, will come Feb. 3 at Quicken Loans Arena.