The Warriors made headlines this offseason with a significant trade involving veteran point guard Chris Paul. Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy recently shared his thoughts on the trade, shedding light on the decision-making process.
The Warriors acquired 38-year-old Paul from the Wizards, parting ways with promising young guard Jordan Poole, Patrick Baldwin Jr., Ryan Rollins, and two draft picks. The trade followed Paul’s brief stint with the Wizards, where he was previously traded from the Suns for Bradley Beal and several draft picks.
Speaking to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic about the trade, Dunleavy acknowledged that while giving up Poole was difficult due to his valuable contributions to the team over the past few years, the decision to bring Paul to the Warriors was relatively straightforward. The move was seen as an opportunity to bolster the team’s backcourt and add valuable experience to the roster.
Dunleavy emphasized, “I always say for me the decision to (trade for) Chris was easy. I hated having to give up Jordan, who has been such a big part of what we’ve done the last few years. I was here when we drafted him. But in terms of basketball and moving forward, financial flexibility, all that stuff you factor in, it was a relatively easy decision for us. And from there, we had the draft, go on to free agency.”
The newly appointed GM also highlighted the familiarity with the team’s operations, which made the transition from Bob Myers to himself smoother. He further explained, “For me, there was a good amount of familiarity, which made it easier transitioning from Bob to myself. I think for everybody else it was like a whirlwind, but we were just kind of doing our job.”
