The Athletic is covering the 2023 NBA draft live.
By Shams Charania, Josh Robbins, Anthony Slater and David Aldridge
The Washington Wizards are trading guard Chris Paul to the Warriors in exchange for a package that includes guard Jordan Poole, league sources told The Athletic.
- The Warriors are sending Poole, Ryan Rollins, a protected first-round pick in 2030 and a second-round pick in 2027 for Paul to the Wizards.
- The Phoenix Suns traded guards Paul and Landry Shamet to Washington on Sunday, along with at least four second-round picks and multiple pick swaps for guard Bradley Beal.
- Wizards officials told The Athletic Sunday they would love to have Paul on the roster next season but would work with the Suns and Paul to trade him if he would rather play elsewhere.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What is this trade for the Warriors about?
Multiple Factors. The immediate is the present. They strive to maximize Steph Curry’s fading title window. There is clearly an internal belief that Paul, who turns 39 in the playoffs next year, can do a better job of fulfilling that goal for 2024 as the team’s third defenseman than Poole, who turned 24 this week. Neither of them had a great end of the season. Poole fought relentlessly in the playoffs and Paul was injured again.
But there is also the financial factor. Poole completed a four-year contract extension worth $123 million starting next season. Paul has $30.8 million on his contract for the upcoming season and then an unguaranteed $30 million the following season, giving the Warriors far more flexibility as they ultimately intend to join the second tax apron and those resulting from it to evade resulting penalties in the latest CBA. – Slater
Any other aspects of this trade for the Warriors?
They terminated Rollins’ contract as part of the deal, freeing up a needed squad spot. Rollins had a guaranteed contract for next season and a non-guaranteed contract for the following season. This allows them to add an additional veteran minimum of free agency, bringing that pivot back to the present.
Another factor: Several insiders have already expressed the expectation that Steve Kerr will be excited about the addition of Paul. Kerr has long believed that the Warriors are at their best when they have a more traditional point guard as a regular part of the rotation that rules everything. That’s why he idolized Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston and what he feels was missing last season. Paul is as traditional as a point guard can get. But man, the Warriors are going to have a little backcourt. – Slater
GO DEEPER
Slater: Why the Chris Paul and Jordan Poole trade for the Warriors came about
Why this is a win for the Wizards
Suddenly, the disappointing return on Washington’s Beal-to-Phoenix swap is looking far better. The Wizards traded Paul, who didn’t fit into either their short- or long-term plans, for a quality 24-year guard and some much-needed draft capital. And maybe the Wizards later decide to trade Poole for more draft capital.
Terminating Beal’s Albatross contract in the Phoenix trade and avoiding a long-term salary commitment to Kristaps Porziņģis (by not re-signing Porziņģis and transferring him to Boston) made Washington more comfortable accepting Poole’s contract. – Robbins
The “Washington should just bang Chris Paul out” crowd suddenly fell silent. To turn a 38-year-old guard who had no intention or desire to play for a radically reforming team into a 24-year-old guard with a big but not terrible contract – a 24-year-old who was a standout Getting Rolled onto a championship team just 12 months ago — along with Rollins, last year’s GSW runner-up and a future Warriors first-and-choice teammate — is a pretty solid return. If the Wizards sign Anthony Black with the eighth pick in the first round tonight, they’ve got quite an interesting young backcourt to develop.
But after the past seven days in DC, I’m not going to predict what this new front office will do next. – Aldridge
How risky is this move for the Warriors?
Extremely. Poole played all 82 games last season. He’s been indispensable to them when Curry or Klay Thompson misses regular season games, and those two tend to miss at least a handful. Paul is obviously not as reliably available and doesn’t have nearly the long-term benefits. By the time Poole is in his third and fourth year of renewal, reaching his prime, Paul could retire.
But this is now, and the Warriors have great faith in Rick Celebrini and her coaching staff to keep older players healthy and fresh when the playoffs arrive. They’ve guided Thompson through some brutal injuries, recovered Draymond Green from a nervous ailment and kept Otto Porter Jr. healthy long enough for him to be a useful part of the 2022 title race. But this bet on Paul and the costs involved represent a higher risk. – Slater
backstory
Paul was the New Orleans Pelicans’ fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. Paul played the first six seasons of his career in New Orleans before playing the next six with the Los Angeles Clippers. He then completed stints with the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and most recently the Phoenix Suns.
Paul started all 1,214 regular-season games he played, averaging 17.9 points, 9.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.
required reading
(Photo: Harry How / Getty Images)