OKC Thunder: Pros and cons of trading Chris Paul to New York Knicks

Player – Agent relationship:

A pro for Chris Paul is his agent was Leon Rose (prior to him joining the Knicks). The two have a long-standing and strong relationship. Rose is someone CP3 will trust and that’s relevant given the experience he dealt with in Houston. Daryl Morey specifically promised him he wouldn’t be traded to Oklahoma and then went back on his word.

While Paul knows better than anyone this is a business, being able to trust someone in management is equally as important to trusting teammates.

For those who wonder why the Rose – Paul long-tenured partnership as agent-player matters, a quick glance back at history offers insight.

When the Miami Heat brought together LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, CAA (Henry Thomas) represented Wade and Bosh while Rose represented James. That the Heatles were all represented by one agency no doubt allowed for the trio to make the move seamlessly and for any contract concerns to easily be handled.

Aside from Paul, players who were on Rose’s client list prior to him accepting the position with the Knicks also included Joel Embiid, Victor Oladipo, and Karl-Anthony Towns.

That fact shouldn’t be overlooked, especially with whispers of Embiid and KAT not necessarily being thrilled in their current circumstances. Oladipo is an intriguing player who has a similar style to that of Dennis Schroder who has arguably witnessed his greatest season ever playing alongside Paul.