The first big domino of the NBA offseason fell earlier this week when the Washington Wizards traded Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns for Chris Paul and other players/assets.
That gives the Suns a new Big 3, while the Wizards begin a much-needed rebuild. Because that is the direction the Wizards are headed though, there was never an expectation that Paul would be sticking around.
While the Wizards were hoping to re-route Paul somewhere else, many thought that would be hard to do given his age and $30 million salary for the 2023-24 season.
If it the ultimate conclusion was Paul being bought out, then the Los Angeles Lakers were among the teams expected to show interest in signing the point guard for the veteran minimum.
Paul returning to Los Angeles where he makes home made a lot of sense, and it’s no secret that he and LeBron James are close friends.
Ultimately though, the Lakers will have to look elsewhere for point guard upgrades as the Wizards were indeed able to find another trade for Paul. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Paul is being traded to the Golden State Warriors for Jordan Poole and other assets:
Warriors are sending a 2030 protected first-round and a 2027 second-rounder to the Wizards, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2023
This is a shocking trade at first glance, although it actually makes sense for both sides when digging a little deeper.
Poole is about to have a four-year, $128 million extension kick in this season, and with the new CBA in place, the Warriors would not have been able to continue paying all of their stars. By getting out of Poole’s long-term money, they now have the ability to re-sign Draymond Green long term while also adding Paul to their team for the 2023-24 season.
Paul has a long history as a rival of Golden State but now will get to team up with Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in hopes of winning his first championship.
Meanwhile, Washington gets some draft capital back for Paul, who would have been bought out anyway considering the Wizards are rebuilding. They are now responsible for Poole’s massive contract, but he is still just 24 years of age so they are hoping a change of scenery and bigger role will help get the guard’s career back on track.
The Lakers seem to be the losers of this as they no longer have the ability to add a player of Paul’s caliber on a minimum contract, which was a long shot anyway. There are other options still out there at point guard though, including their own D’Angelo Russell and Dennis Schroder, so it’s definitely not the end of the world for Rob Pelinka and co.
Now that they know Paul is no longer an option, the Lakers have plenty of time to seek out other options with the NBA Draft on Thursday night and free agency just a week away.
Lakers trade up from 47 to 40 in second round
Pelinka and the Lakers already made their first move on Thursday morning, sending the No. 47 pick in the second round along with cash to the Indiana Pacers for No. 40.
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