As draft night approached, the Golden State Warriors acquired Chris Paul from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jordan Poole.
In the hours prior to the NBA draft getting underway, the Golden State Warriors parted with Jordan Poole, one of the key members of their 2022 championship run, Poole is heading to the nation’s capital to play for the Wizards. Chris Paul, who landed in DC earlier this week in a trade with the Suns, does a quick wardrobe change from a Wizards uniform to Warriors colours.
ESPN first reported the news, although the source spoke under the guise of anonymity.
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Chris Paul’s Championship Chance with the Warriors
Chris Paul didn’t last a week in Washington. Not that the odds were ever high of him adorning their uniform in a game next season. After being dealt to the Wizards earlier in the week in a deal that sent Bradley Beal to the Suns to play with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, Paul, entering his 19th season, is heading back to California.
The Golden State Warriors acquire the savvy veteran in exchange for some draft capital and Jordan Poole. The latter had an impressive 2021-2022 campaign, one that saw him play significant playoff minutes in the first round when Stephen Curry nursed some wounds. While the numbers declined somewhat as the postseason wore on, there is no doubt he did his part to help the team earn its fourth ring in less than a decade.
However, as has many talked about regularly last season, the pre-season incident involving him and Draymond Green – Green punched Poole during a practice session – built a cloud over the club all year. Unlike the previous campaign, 2022-2023 saw its share of moments of Warriors stalwarts, most notably Stephen Curry, less than pleased with the quality of Poole’s play.
Chris Paul’s chase for a championship gets yet another terrific shot. After several seasons on a loaded but underachieving Clippers team, a few great chances with James Harden and the Rockets, and most recently his only trip to the Finals with the Suns, he gets to play basketball with Curry and Klay Thompson. What exactly his role will be on such a loaded team is another question, but one might argue that at this stage in his career, he’s ready to do anything to finally get a ring.
