In a surprising offseason move, the Warriors acquired Chris Paul, who had recently joined the Wizards following the Bradley Beal trade, by trading away Jordan Poole.
Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. revealed the thought process behind this unexpected trade during a preseason press conference.
Dunleavy explained that the idea of adding Paul to Golden State’s roster arose when news broke that the Suns would not retain the veteran player. This revelation emerged in early June, signaling the possibility of Paul becoming available.
Initially, the Warriors considered the prospect of securing Paul on a minimum contract in free agency if he were to be waived.
Despite Paul’s age, the Warriors saw him as a valuable addition who could complement their group. Making the trade work financially required careful consideration, but the Warriors successfully executed the deal.
“We struggled last year and in years past with taking care of the ball,” Dunleavy said. “We struggled sometimes at the end of games with decision-making.
“So we felt like ‘Yeah, Chris is a little bit older. But he fits with our group, and he can help us in some areas that we’re deficient in. So it started to make sense. And then we had to make the salaries and the money work and all that, and we did. But that was sort of how it all began.”
