In the second large Woj bomb of the day (or first depending on what time zone you’re in), another large trade has been announced; and it isn’t even draft time yet! Chris Paul is being traded to the Golden State Warriors for Jordan Poole, Ryan Rollins, a 2030 protected first-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick.
After the initial shock passed, I had to take a look analytically at this trade. After minutes of thought, I came to the conclusion that this trade doesn’t make much sense; well, at least on one side.
For the Wizards, this is great. They have an All-Star caliber guard in Poole to take over the reigns where Bradley Beal left them. Poole’s a good player, but he’s not good enough that he’ll ruin the Wizards chances of tanking for next season. Maybe he even becomes one of the centerpieces of their rebuild. Getting additional draft capital is also a step in the right direction.
As for the Warriors…why?
Paul is an aging veteran who has a notorious history in the playoffs and frequently seems to be injury prone. While he can impact winning very highly in the regular season, I don’t understand Golden State for a second. Draymond Green declined his player option, not Stephen Curry. With Curry and Klay Thompson alongside Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, and Kevon Looney, there’s no room for Paul in the starting lineup! Is he willing to accept a sixth man role? Is this another temporary destination before Paul gets traded once again?
A Warriors fan who was granted anonymity in order to speak freely on this trade told me:
“We got fleeced, we traded a rising star and 1st round pick for an almost 40 year old back up point guard. Not only is he aging, he’s notoriously known to be injury prone in the playoffs.”
I can’t disagree with him. I’m not sure what the Warriors plan is at the moment, but there’s has to be more to it than just trading for Paul.
Trade Grades:
Wizards: A
Warriors: C-
Let me know your thoughts on the trade in the comments below, don’t forget to follow the NBA Blog for more updates, and as always, have an awesome day!
Picture credit to:
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
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