Heading into free agency, it seemed as though the Oklahoma City Thunder were going to have a calm and fairly easygoing Summer. On the morning of July 6th, that all went out the window as the team traded Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers. Just about a week later, they traded Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Chris Paul. These moves were a shocking development that Thunder fans couldn't see coming and quite understandably, they're upset about it.
As it turns out, George and Westbrook were both concerned about the team after being eliminated from the playoffs in just five games at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers. According to The Athletic, their quick elimination led to the voicing of some grievances.
Future: Report">Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Per The Athletic:
Around the time of the draft, Russell Westbrook and George both communicated their discontent to the Thunder and expressed interest in the franchise possibly making significant changes. There had been frustration yet again at season’s end, with the Westbrook-George pairing falling short in the first round of the playoffs for a second time. It would only be natural that all options were considered.
The Thunder worked on quelling their duo’s concerns over the subsequent days and thought matters had been resolved — if only temporarily — by the start of free agency on June 30.
As of right now, it looks like the Thunder will hang on to Paul despite efforts to trade him and his massive contract.
