The Golden State Warriors took a big swing this summer and moved off Jordan Poole after a tumultuous season by trading him to the Washington Wizards for veteran point guard Chris Paul.
There were many reasons that Poole’s time with the Warriors needed to come to an end, and Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. openly cited financial reasons while claiming Paul is a short-term upgrade.
“Felt like adding Chris gives us a chance to get better. Addresses some things for us overall as a team but also gives us some financial flexibility moving forward. Most of all, Jordan, we can’t thank him enough. We don’t have a banner if it weren’t for him. He gave us everything he had for four years and we really appreciate what he gave us.”
“Felt like adding Chris gives us a chance to get better. Addresses some things for us overall as a team but also gives us some financial flexibility moving forward.”
Mike Dunleavy on why they decided to trade JP for CP
(via @anthonyVslater)
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) July 10, 2023
It’s unclear whether Chris Paul will be starting alongside Stephen Curry or coming off the bench, though most assume he’s been brought in as the remedy to their bench lineup issues. The Warriors need a pass-first guard to come off their bench and ensure the talent across the roster is put in better situations to succeed.
CP3 averaged 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists last season. Poole was a far better scorer, averaging 20.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists over his season in Golden State.
An Unconvincing Offseason In The Bay Area
The Warriors took a big step back in 2022-23 after winning the championship in June 2022. Over a year after that success, the Warriors are decidedly worse. They fell to the 6th seed and were beaten in the second round of the West by the Lakers. This summer, they lost their most impactful rotational player, Donte DiVincenzo for nothing.
They have added Cory Joseph and Dario Saric in the summer, moves that don’t necessarily move the needle. The team is betting that their aging core of Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and now CP3 don’t regress heading into next season. Similarly, they’re hoping Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and rookie Brandin Podziemski are capable of playing major roles.
With the lack of outside additions to replace what they have lost, teams around the West will likely look at Golden State as having gotten slightly worse this summer.
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