In a significant development, Chris Paul, the NBA player known for his quest to win a championship, is set to join the Golden State Warriors. As per a reliable source, the Warriors have reached a preliminary agreement to acquire Paul, with Jordan Poole being traded to the Washington Wizards in return.
The trade arrangement also involves the inclusion of multiple draft picks, as disclosed by the aforementioned source who spoke to The Associated Press anonymously due to the pending finalization and NBA approval of the trade.
ESPN was the first to report the successful negotiation between the teams.
Expressing his enthusiasm, Paul, who is currently on a book tour, shared his excitement about the upcoming move in an interview with The Charlotte Observer on Thursday. He mentioned that he had already spoken with Stephen Curry, the star player of the Warriors, and described the conversation as positive.
Last week, the Wizards agreed to acquire Paul from the Phoenix Suns as part of a deal that sent Bradley Beal from Washington to Phoenix.
Notably, Paul’s aspirations of claiming an NBA championship have been thwarted twice by the Warriors in the past. In 2018, during the Western Conference finals, Paul and the Houston Rockets held a 3-2 series lead before his injury sidelined him for the last two games, leading to Golden State’s eventual triumph en route to their NBA championship.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that Paul and the Rockets faced defeat once more at the hands of the Warriors in 2019, during the Western Conference semifinals. However, the Warriors’ journey was halted as they were eventually defeated by the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals.
Moreover, this trade has the potential to grant the Warriors increased financial flexibility in the forthcoming seasons. Jordan Poole is on the verge of commencing a lucrative four-year contract worth $128 million. On the other hand, Paul is set to earn approximately $31 million in the upcoming season, with no guaranteed financial commitment beyond that.
Interestingly, this move may introduce a completely new and unique role for Paul: coming off the bench.
Having participated in a remarkable 1,214 regular-season games and an additional 149 playoff games, Chris Paul has started in every single one of them. However, it appears highly unlikely that he would displace guards Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson in the Golden State Warriors’ starting lineup.
As Paul approaches 38 years of age and prepares to embark on his 19th NBA season, he could find himself assuming a new role. Nevertheless, there is a clear tradeoff since the Warriors, with four championships in the past decade, are expected to be strong contenders for the title in the upcoming season. This is a coveted achievement that has eluded Paul throughout his career. Although he reached the NBA Finals with the Phoenix Suns in 2021, they squandered a 2-0 series lead and lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games.
During the previous season, Paul, a distinguished 12-time All-Star, maintained averages of 13.9 points and 8.9 assists for the Phoenix Suns.
On the other hand, Jordan Poole, who recently turned 24, now joins a Washington team that is currently undergoing a comprehensive rebuild. Poole showcased his skills by averaging 20.4 points in the past season. Notably, his journey with the Golden State Warriors began with an incident where veteran Draymond Green punched him during practice, prompting Green to temporarily step away from the team.
The Warriors have a vested interest in retaining Green, who is poised to become a free agent.