Chris Paul may have left the Clippers because of Doc and Austin Rivers

Chris Paul was traded to the Rockets early Wednesday morning, but his relationship with the Rivers family may have played a part.

Let’s get one thing straight: Chris Paul might not ever rebuild the burned bridges between he and DeAndre Jordan. However, his relationship with Doc Rivers may have been what drove him out of Los Angeles.

According to reports by ESPN’s Michael Eaves, Chris Paul has despised his coach for refusing to deal and favoring his son. During last season, the Clippers tried to bring Carmelo Anthony to Los Angeles in an attempt to make a run at the championship. However, since the deal included Doc Rivers’ son Austin, the coach and president of basketball ops refused.

Paul, along with other Clippers, were furious. The players believed Doc only refused the trade to keep his son in Los Angeles. The Knicks had a relatively low asking price. Austin Rivers, Paul Pierce and Jamal Crawford, for Carmelo. To 99 percent of NBA franchises, that’s a no-brainer. Which is why Paul and his teammates were so baffled.

In addition, Rivers reportedly favored his son to other players. In a classic case of little league father/son favoring, Rivers would take it easy on his son, as opposed to his superstars.

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Over the last few seasons, the NBA championship coach has seen his reputation deteriorate. He led the Celtics’ so called “big three” to multiple finals appearances, but has not had the same results with the Clippers. Despite having multiple superstars on his squad, Rivers has been unable to get out of the second round. However, this report is the most tarnishing yet. With Blake Griffin likely departing LA soon, one can only wonder how much longer both Doc and Austin have left on the Clippers’ sideline.