Golden State Warriors make waves in Western Conference with draft day trade for Chris Paul
The Golden State Warriors made a major move in the hours leading up to Thursday’s NBA draft that could affect the Kings’ odds of repeating as Pacific Division champions.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Warriors agreed to a deal that will send Jordan Poole and future draft compensation to the Washington Wizards in exchange for veteran point guard Chris Paul.
Paul returned to the Western Conference days after being traded to the Wizards in the deal that sent Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns. He will join forces with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in an aging but star-studded backcourt that will be among the league’s best when healthy.
The Warriors showed signs of a decline last season after winning four NBA championships in eight years. They finished fourth in the Pacific Division and sixth in the Western Conference while the Kings won the division to secure the No. 3 seed in the West. The Warriors defeated the Kings in a hard-fought seven-game series in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round.
Paul is a 12-time All-Star and 11-time All-NBA selection who averaged 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 1.5 steals for Phoenix last season, but at age 38, he, too, has shown signs of a decline. Paul has been plagued by injuries in recent years, appearing in an average of 63.0 games over the past seven seasons, with a number of untimely injuries in the playoffs.
Poole, 24, was once considered an important part of Golden State’s future and the organization’s two-timeline plan as the Warriors prepared for eventual life without franchise fixtures Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green.
The Warriors signed Poole to a four-year, $123 million contract extension in October. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard averaged 20.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists last season, but the team’s chemistry was disrupted when Green punched Poole in the face during an altercation in training camp.
This story was originally published June 22, 2023 at 2:18 PM.
