When the Golden State Warriors acquired Chris Paul in a trade with the Washington Wizards at the start of free agency, it was a short-term move designed to boost their chances of winning a championship in the coming season. Paul has two years remaining on his current deal and is set to earn $30.8 million this season, while his final year is non-guaranteed.
Considering the Warriors will have Klay Thompson‘s impending free agency to deal with in the next 12 months, it’s unlikely Golden State will decide to guarantee Paul’s final year. Instead, they will likely waive the veteran next summer before deciding on how to move forward – something which HoopsHype’s Yozzi Goslan detailed as he noted Paul is unlikely to receive a contract extension from Golden State.
“The Warriors may be interested in extending Chris Paul, but that would require guaranteeing his $30 million salary for 2023-24,” Gozlan wrote. “His future in Golden State past this season likely requires them waiving him and then re-signing him on a cheaper deal.”
Tired: Free agency.
Wired: PRE-AGENCY.
Here are the top players who could be signing extensions (or bypassing them) soon.https://t.co/HXGxWDb51n
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) August 3, 2023
Paul will be almost 39 years old by the time the Warriors have to make a decision regarding the final year of his deal. It’s unlikely that Golden State, or any other team in the league, will be willing to commit $30 million to a player who is nearing his 40s, regardless of their future Hall of Fame status.
However, the Warriors could look to bring Paul back on a more team-friendly deal, but that could spell trouble for rookie Brandin Podziesmki, who already projects to find minutes hard to come by in the upcoming season. Fortunately, the Warriors have an entire season to decide how to approach next summer, and for now, will likely be focused on making another strong push for a championship.
