The latest report from well-known NBA reporter Shams Sharania said that after the season, the Warriors management plans to give up Chris Paul's final year of $30.8 million contract, and Paul will either accept the veteran's base salary contract to stay with the Warriors or join the championship team, or choose to retire.
"I'm a firm believer that I can win the championship before I retire, and I can definitely wear a championship ring. Paul talked to Wade about the championship, saying, "I can't accept that I can't win a championship, that's my character. Paul will never admit defeat, at least in words, but it is harder for the Warriors to win the championship this season than to climb to the sky, 41-34 to ninth in the West, and win two consecutive play-off games to break into the playoffs. It won't be easy for the Warriors to win against the Lakers, Suns, or Pelicans, not to mention that they don't have home-court advantage yet.
Even if the Warriors enter the playoffs in 7th or 8th place in the West, they have no chance of winning against either the Timberwolves or the Nuggets. In the regular season, the Timberwolves swept the Warriors 3-0 and the Nuggets swept the Warriors 4-0, which means that Paul's desire to win the championship and retire will be disappointed. Paul has played for six teams in his 19-year career, but he has missed the championship, and his hope of the last silver line in the Warriors is getting slimmer and slimmer. thought that standing next to the Splash Brothers would have a chance to make a last fight, but he didn't expect Draymond Green to press the acceleration button for the collapse of the Warriors dynasty and directly shatter Paul's championship dream.
The Warriors originally wanted Paul to play the role of a veteran in the locker room, but the effect was not obvious, at least in the regular season, they did not succeed in appeasing Thompson, who is facing a contract extension, and did not deal with the hot-tempered Green. 'I've been in the league for 19 and in the dressing room I'll reason with some guys and tell them that nothing is taken for granted. Paul plays the role of a talker in the Warriors, his strong personality always likes to coach his teammates, but the core players of the Warriors are all famous, and the empty-handed Paul is not easy to speak, not to mention that Green is an old ruffian who no one cares about.
The locker room struggled to play a veteran role, and from a basketball perspective, Paul's performance with the Warriors was not as good as expected, contributing 9.2 points and 6.8 assists in 51 games, shooting 44.7% from the field and 38.3% from three-point range. Judging from the data, Paul is quite good as a bench player, but he is getting the salary of an All-Star point guard, and his personal salary this season is more than $30 million, which is too cost-effective. Paul is also not guaranteed to be fit and has not played 60 games in the last three seasons. Coupled with disadvantages such as age and physical condition, Paul has also become the target of opponents' point points on the defensive end.
If Paul wants to stay with the Warriors, he will have to give up his huge salary in the final year. "Warriors management has no plans to execute Paul's contract for the 2024-25 season. "Mike Dunleavy Jr. will give Paul two options, with the Warriors wading Paul's contract, re-signing a veteran base salary contract, or trading Paul to another team by June 28." Warriors management believes that re-signing Paul at a base salary is more in line with the team's building plan, and Mike Dunleavy also welcomes Paul to stay with the Warriors at a decent salary.
Paul has one year left on his four-year, $120 million contract, and his $30.8 million salary is not guaranteed, and the Warriors have until June 28, 2024, to waive the contract. For a rebuilding team, Paul's contract is very attractive, and if he gives it up after a trade, he can immediately get a huge salary space. According to Sharania, Paul does not want to give up his salary next season while keeping a chance to win a championship, and it will be difficult for him to achieve that wish.
This season, Paul is averaging 26 minutes per game, down from 32 minutes last season, missing 26 games with a left-hand injury. Even if Paul plays normally, his role for the Warriors is limited. Warriors owner Joe Lacob has also made it clear that the goal for next season is to avoid a huge luxury tax, which means Paul's contract must be properly resolved before re-signing Klay Thompson at the right price.
"The most likely scenario is that Paul's short spell with the Warriors is coming to an end. The Warriors will not continue to execute Paul's final year of contract, and there is basically no team in the league that will give Paul another $30 million in annual salary, Sharania said. Paul turned 39 in May, and if he is unwilling to accept a veteran contract, he may have to retire.