AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Chris Paul’s move to the Washington Wizards will be short-lived, as he will be transferred to the Golden State Warriors.
For ESPN Adrian Wojnarowskithe teams agreed to terms on a deal that would send Paul to Golden State in exchange for Jordan Poole and future draft assets.
Shams Charania @Shams Charania
Golden State also traded 2022 second-rounder Ryan Rollins to Washington as part of the Poole-CP3 deal, sources said. https://t.co/sI1L23FPrE
This marks the second time in four days that Paul has been at the center of a blockbuster trade agreement. He is the biggest name to go to the Wizards as part of agreed upon agreement which will send Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns.
Needless to say, the Paul-Poole swap led to a lot of shocked reactions on social media.
Bed Bev Pod @PatBevPod
CP FOR JORDAN POOLE pic.twitter.com/wNDM4ShBi6
Tyler Greever @Tyler_Greever
Yeah, I didn’t think it would happen. wow https://t.co/uq05BVWgTr
StatMuse @statmus
Chris Paul is now on the team
Steph Curry
Clay Thompson
James Harden
Devin Booker
Kevin Durant
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Blake Griffin< br>DeAndre Jordan
David West pic.twitter.com/D9fusaAgOs
LakeShowYo @LakeShowYo
Chris Paul traded to the Warriors??? pic.twitter.com/Qwy5Yd3FEi
The CJ Fogler account may or may not be famous @zero
Dunleavy sent Poole to the Wiz for Chris Paul pic.twitter.com/c5OT6EyghO
Anthony Slater @anthonyVslater
The trade of Chris Paul for the Warriors is another move back to the top right now but also a bet on Rick Celebrini and the Warriors training staff. Made a similar gamble with Otto Porter two seasons ago and kept him healthy at the right time. Greater stakes with Paul.
Josiah Johnson @King Josiah54
Draymond watched Jordan Poole leave the Warriors pic.twitter.com/mWdjgpK3yU
RingerNBA @ringernba
Jordan Poole: “I didn’t have the best postseason but we’ll be back in the Finals, I promise.”
The Warriors: pic.twitter.com/WuidnsnEhS
Trading Poole is the latest sign that the Warriors have given up on their attempt to have a two-track timeline. The first step in the process was the trade of James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons in February.
Since the Warriors appear to be all-in on trying to maximize their window with this core, the next big question they need to answer is whether or not to sign Draymond Green. He declined his $27.6 million player option for 2023-24, but Wojnarowski noted that they were “motivated” to sign him to a new deal.
Given how limited their defensive backcourt is, especially in the playoffs, when Paul and Stephen Curry are on the floor together, Green will be more valuable to the Warriors than ever.
Paul was first in this situation. The Warriors, who believe they re-signed Green, are arguably better positioned to win a title than a Suns team with a better top two in Kevin Durant and Devin Booker but lacking their behind.
The 38-year-old future Hall of Famer is still chasing his first championship heading into his 19th NBA season.
Poole is likely to be the No. 1 option for the Wizards in 2023-24. It remains to be seen if he can handle that kind of role in the NBA, but there isn’t much pressure on a team that is clearly rebuilding from the ground up.
At 24 years old, Poole still has a lot of room to grow in the NBA. He has been a productive player in the past and will be a key bench player for the Warriors in their playoff run in the 2021-22 season.
