While Chris Paul may affect their chances of winning a championship, his move to the Warriors could also mean something different.
Around this time a year ago, the Golden State Warriors were continuing to celebrate the championship at the end of the offseason. No one outside the organization thought the team had the potential to return to the top of the NBA world, but Stephen Curry and his teammates accomplished the feat, setting high expectations for them heading into the 2022-23 season.
However, drama ensued with the Warriors, beginning with a brawl before the start of the season in which four-time All-Star Draymond Green beat Jordan Poole. Everything didn't seem right with the Warriors after that, and they ended up losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
About six weeks later, the Warriors shocked the NBA world, packing Poole with other assets in order to acquire future Hall of Famer point guard Chris Paul from the Washington Wizards. Aside from what happened to Poole and Green before the season and Poole's struggles in the Golden State Warriors playoffs, there are plenty of other reasons why this trade happened.
For years, the Warriors have never been shy about spending money in order to maintain their championship status as contenders, as their salary and tax rankings have always been at the top of the league. However, with the new CBA rules in effect, cutting costs was critical, and Poole ended up being a dispensable on the team as they promised him $128 million over the next four seasons.
While Paul is expected to earn $30.8 million a year this year, his 2024-25 contract is non-guaranteed, meaning the Warriors can keep the veteran for a year without long-term obligations or penalties. That allowed the Warriors to save about $30 million in wages next offseason.
It's also worth noting that including Patrick Baldwin Jr. in the Paul Poole deal also saves the Warriors more luxury tax than his $2.3 million contract for the new season suggests.
Reasons for the Warriors to trade Chris Paul
Financially, the deal makes sense for the Golden State Warriors, but it may not be the only thing it makes to acquire Chris Paul. In terms of talent, Paul can help the Warriors become the main ball handlers and facilitators, allowing the Splash Brothers two to do what they do best: running out of cover and shooting three-pointers. Paul, who has a heightened understanding of the game and the ability to influence victory anywhere in his career, fits the pattern of veteran players the Warriors have been pursuing for years in pursuit of more championships.
Since new general manager Mike Dunleavy made his first iconic move last month, the deeper implications of the deal may have gone unnoticed. Warriors fans may also be familiar with this type of move, especially before the 2019-20 season, when D'Angelo Russell made a similar move.
After learning that Kevin Durant would join the Brooklyn Nets in 2019, the Warriors decided to add Russell to their roster, not only to redeem lost value, but also to continue to be at the highest possible level, especially as Klay Thompson recovers from an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Things didn't go as planned for the team, and Kevin Rooney, Curry, and Green all got injured that year, leaving the Golden State Warriors to win just 15 games.
Despite all the struggles, the Warriors completed a key trade in 2019-20. If the deal never goes through, they may not win the championship in 2022. Trading Russell for Andrew Wiggins in a losing season will soon pay off, so Paul could take a very similar approach in 2023-24.
For now, the Warriors want the seasoned point guard to be an important part of their roster and help them compete for their fifth championship since 2015. Then again, we don't know how the first part of the new season will play out and which teams in the league might need players like Paul more than the Warriors.
Payage-wise, even if the Golden State Warriors develop Poole and love his offense, a trade for Poole still has to happen. Paul's stay in 2023-24 doesn't necessarily lead to a trade, so the Warriors are giving themselves options this offseason.
The 12-time All-Star, 38-year-old guard is something to sacrifice for this team (the Warriors). Given the right opportunity, they won't hesitate to move to Paul for added value, especially if it means adding one or two younger, more dynamic players to increase their championship prospects. As they did with Russell a while ago, a non-guaranteed clause that brings Paul into his contract before the trade deadline could result in the Warriors getting a high-impact player like Wiggins.
Chris Paul's role in the starting lineup or on the bench
How the Warriors use Chris Paul's skills will be very interesting, as his role is not very certain right now, and he has previously said that he will find a place for him in training camp. The Golden State Warriors, one of the smallest teams in the league last season, haven't really added any options this offseason despite signing a one-year contract with Dario Sarric.
Typically, the Warriors' main starting rotation includes Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green and Looney, of which Looney is 6 feet 9 inches tall, their tallest player. If the Warriors include Paul in the starting rotation, it could mean Green will play center, Wiggins will play power forward, and Wiggins will become their tallest player 6-7 tall. That's why Paul's role has become a key topic of discussion in the offseason, as he has the potential to make his first career off the bench.
In his 18 years in the league, Paul played 1,214 games for 5 different teams. Paul never came out as a backup, as CP3 started 1,214 times as a point guard during his NBA career.
But at this stage of his career, all the veteran lacks is a championship ring. If coming off the bench gives the team a better chance of winning, Paul would be more than willing to accept such a role. Not to mention, the team he is on is completely different from the one he is used to playing for.
"All of this is going to happen in training camp. We won't be able to assess what's best for our team and what is going to be like until we get everyone on the field," Warriors coach Steve Kerr recently said of the Warriors' entry into the starting lineup for the new season via The Star's Xena Rubin. "But I'm very confident that everything will work out. We have great players, we have great championships, great competitors. There is only one goal for next year, and that is to win at the highest possible level. Everything else will unfold as the season progresses. ”
While the locker rooms may not be as closely connected as they used to be, the Warriors' biggest flaw in the 2022-23 season is that their second team has performed badly every night. As the team's sixth man and bench leader, Poole brings a lot of uncertainty and does struggle at times, especially in the playoffs.
When you think back to the Warriors' championship teams in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022, it's hard to ignore the stars who led the charge, but every team has critical, reliable, experienced contributors who come off the bench in the playoffs. Last year's team really didn't have a veteran or leader on the bench, which is why Paul accepting the team's sixth-man role, as Sean Livingston did when he came to the Warriors in 2014, could be extremely beneficial for both sides.
However, drama ensued with the Warriors, beginning with a brawl before the start of the season in which four-time All-Star Draymond Green beat Jordan Poole. Everything didn't seem right with the Warriors after that, and they ended up losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
About six weeks later, the Warriors shocked the NBA world, packing Poole with other assets in order to acquire future Hall of Famer point guard Chris Paul from the Washington Wizards. Aside from what happened to Poole and Green before the season and Poole's struggles in the Golden State Warriors playoffs, there are plenty of other reasons why this trade happened.
For years, the Warriors have never been shy about spending money in order to maintain their championship status as contenders, as their salary and tax rankings have always been at the top of the league. However, with the CBA's new rules in effect, cutting costs was critical, and Poole ended up being the odd guy on the team as they promised him $128 million over the next four seasons.
While Paul is expected to earn $30.8 million in annual salary this year, his 2024-25 contract is non-guaranteed, meaning the Warriors can loan the veteran for a year without long-term obligations or penalties. That allowed the Warriors to save about $30 million in wages next offseason.
It's also worth noting that including Patrick Baldwin Jr. in the Paul Poole deal also saves the Warriors more luxury tax than his $2.3 million contract for the new season suggests.
To cut costs, someone will be transferred this offseason. Despite being a talented player, it makes the most sense for the Warriors to drop Poole now. They could have traded him for anyone, though, which is why it's fun for the Warriors to want Paul.
Reasons for the Warriors to trade Chris Paul
Golden State Warriors Chris Paul, D'Angelo Russell
Financially, the deal makes sense for the Golden State Warriors, but it may not be the only thing it makes to acquire Chris Paul. In terms of talent, Paul can help the Warriors become the main ball handlers and facilitators, allowing the Splash Brothers two to do what they do best: running out of cover and shooting three-pointers. Paul, who has a heightened understanding of the game and the ability to influence victory anywhere in his career, fits the pattern of veteran players the Warriors have been pursuing for years in pursuit of more championships.
Since new general manager Mike Dunleavy made his first iconic move last month, the deeper implications of the deal may have gone unnoticed. Warriors fans may also be familiar with this type of move, especially before the 2019-20 season, when D'Angelo Russell made a similar move.
After learning that Kevin Durant would join the Brooklyn Nets in 2019, the Warriors decided to add Russell to their roster, not only to redeem lost value, but also to continue to be at the highest possible level, especially as Klay Thompson recovers from an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Things didn't go as planned for the team, and Kevin Rooney, Curry, and Green all got injured that year, leaving the Golden State Warriors to win just 15 games.
Despite all the struggles, the Warriors completed a key trade in 2019-20. If the deal never goes through, they may not win the championship in 2022. Trading Russell for Andrew Wiggins in a losing season will soon pay off, so Paul could take a very similar approach in 2023-24.
For now, the Warriors want the seasoned point guard to be an important part of their roster and help them compete for their fifth championship since 2015. Then again, we don't know how the first part of the new season will play out and which teams in the league might need players like Paul more than the Warriors.
Economically, even if the Golden State Warriors nurtured Poole and liked his skills, a trade for Poole would have to happen. Keeping Paul in 2023-24 isn't necessarily going to happen, so all of a sudden, the Warriors are giving themselves options this offseason to explore month after month into the new year.
The 12-time All-Star, 38-year-old guard is something to sacrifice for this organization. Given the right opportunity, they won't hesitate to move to Paul for added value, especially if it means adding one or two younger, more dynamic players to increase their championship prospects. As they did with Russell a while ago, a non-guaranteed clause that brings Paul into his contract before the trade deadline could result in the Warriors getting a high-impact player like Wiggins.
Chris Paul's role in the starting lineup or on the bench
It will be very interesting to see how the Warriors use Chris Paul's skills, especially since his character is uncertain when he enters training camp. The Golden State Warriors, one of the smallest teams in the league last season, haven't really added any size this offseason despite signing a one-year contract with Dario Sarric.
Typically, the Warriors' main starting rotation includes Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green and Looney, of which Looney is 6 feet 9 inches tall, their tallest player. If the Warriors include Paul in the starting rotation, it could mean Green will play center, Wiggins will play power forward, and Wiggins will become their tallest player 6-7 tall. That's why Paul's role has become a key topic of discussion in the offseason, as he has the potential to make his first career off the bench.
In his 18 years in the league, Paul played 1,214 games for 5 different teams. Paul never came out as a backup, as CP3 started 1,214 times as a point guard during his NBA career.
But at this stage of his career, all the veteran lacks is a championship ring. If coming off the bench gives the team a better chance of winning, Paul would be more than willing to accept such a role. Not to mention, the team he is on is completely different from the one he is used to playing for.
"All of this is going to happen in training camp. We won't be able to assess what's best for our team and what is going to be like until we get everyone on the field," Warriors coach Steve Kerr recently said of the Warriors' entry into the starting lineup for the new season via The Star's Xena Rubin. "But I'm very confident that everything will work out. We have great players, we have great championships, great competitors. There is only one goal for next year, and that is to win at the highest possible level. Everything else will unfold as the season progresses. ”
While the locker rooms may not be as closely connected as they used to be, the Warriors' biggest flaw in the 2022-23 season is that their second team has performed badly every night. As the team's sixth man and bench leader, Poole brings a lot of uncertainty and does struggle at times, especially in the playoffs.
When you look at the Warriors' championship teams in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022, it's hard to ignore the stars who led the charge, but every team had a substitute in the playoffs
Not only can Paul play to his strengths in the Warriors' second team alongside younger, more dynamic talent like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, but he can also give this team the shock of productivity and consistency they lack off the bench. That's not to say Paul can't start in certain games, as Curry and Thompson are unlikely to play all 82 games of the 2023-24 season, as is CP3.
Whether he's a starter or a backup, the Warriors seem to have a blueprint for how to take advantage of one of the best point guards the league has ever seen. There's no doubt that Paul will play a big role in the start of the new season for the Golden State Warriors, but looking ahead to what could happen with the trade deadline, they're certainly a team to watch given the Warriors' selection of Paul.