Some Players Reportedly Laughed When Chris Paul Was Traded To The Thunder Because Of His Unpopularity As Union President

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Over the weekend Chris Paul was surprisingly traded to the OKC Thunder for Russell Westbrook and a slew of picks after he was reportedly beefing with James Harden.

Apparently, Paul isn’t very popular among veteran players who seemed happy about him being traded into the NBA equivalent of Siberia.

According to a report from The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss, several players laugh when Paul was sent to OKC because many felt that he prioritized stars and super max contracts instead of focusing on mid-tier players while acting as union president.

Via The Athletic

The reign of CP3 is not popular with the NBA’s lower classes

Some players around the league laughed when union president Chris Paul and his massive contract got dealt to the rebuilding Thunder for Russell Westbrook. Why? Because Paul’s regime is not viewed as one devoted to serving the NBA’s middle and lower classes.

“They advocate for the interests of max players and super-max players,” one veteran player said of Paul and company. “Basically, the CBA has helped the whole banana boat crew from back in the day. It’s taken from the midlevel. I think middle-tier players aren’t getting that mid level money anymore.

“I think just that huge super max has had cost. Teams are putting all their eggs in one basket to keep that super-max guy. It’s dried up the salary cap. I don’t see it as sustainable long term

Paul is going to have the last laugh because the super max contract that he helped negotiate in the last CBA is going to make him a ton of money for the duration of his career.

Paul might even get a record-breaking buyout from the Thunder if they offered it to him.

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