Chris Paul to be traded for second time in a week – this time to Warriors
Chris Paul could get a final shot at an NBA championship after the Golden State Warriors agreed to the framework of a trade on Thursday that will send Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
ESPN first reported the agreement was struck by the teams.
The Wizards agreed to acquire Paul from Phoenix last week, in a deal that sent Bradley Beal from Washington to the Suns. Paul said he was only informed of the deal after his 14-year-old son texted him with the news.
Paul had two of his title-hope seasons thwarted by the Warriors. In 2018, Paul and the Houston Rockets had a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference finals before he missed the final two games through injury and Golden State prevailed on the way to the NBA title. And in 2019, the Warriors beat Paul and the Rockets again, that time in the West semifinals before ultimately falling to Toronto in the NBA finals.
The move could also provide the Warriors with financial flexibility in future seasons. Poole is about to begin a four-year, $128m deal. Paul is due about $31m this coming season and has nothing guaranteed after that.
It may also usher in something totally new and different for Paul – a bench role.
He has appeared in 1,214 regularseason games and another 149 in the playoffs, and has started every single one of them. But it is unlikely that he would supplant guards Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson in Golden State’s starting lineup.
So, at 38 and about to enter his 19th NBA season, Paul could find himself in a new position. But there is an obvious tradeoff, since the Warriors will almost certainly be considered a titlecontender going into next season after winning four championships in the last decade – and Paul has never gotten the title he craves. He went to the NBA finals with Phoenix in 2021, but the Suns blew a 2-0 series lead and lost to Milwaukee in six games.
The 12-time All-Star averaged 13.9
points and 8.9 assists this past season for Phoenix.
Poole, who turned 24 earlier this week, joins a Washington team now fully in the midst of a rebuild. He averaged 20.4 points this past season, one that began with Golden State veteran Draymond Green punching Poole at practice during training camp before taking a brief leave of absence from the team.
Green is set to become a free agent, although the Warriors want to keep him.