When the Golden State Warriors flipped Jordan Poole for Chris Paul, a large section of the fanbase and media questioned the move’s short-sightedness. Chris Paul is 38 years old and, while still a high-level point guard, is now past his prime years. As such, the decision to trade away a 24-year-old left some people perplexed.
In a recent interview with Madeline Kenney of The Mercury News, Warriors owner Joe Lacob discussed the thought process that went into making the trade. During the discussion, Lacob admitted that the deal was ‘short-term’ but also noted how he believes it gives the Warriors their best chance of competing for another championship.
“We had to change something,” Lacob said. “While it’s a short-term move, Chris Paul is a fabulous Hall of Famer who will I think certainly help our second unit, help our first unit if he plays there, wherever he plays, he’s a tremendous guy…We can be good for several years, not just one, but we definitely want to win. We’re doing everything we can. We’re gonna have a huge payroll this year, the biggest in the history of the NBA, and we’re trying to win. I can’t try any harder, we’re trying everything we can.”
Despite his brilliance, Paul has never won a championship in his NBA career and will likely be relishing the chance to contend with Golden State. However, there will likely be some teething issues, especially in regard to what Paul’s role will be on the team.
Considering the Warriors already have Steph Curry on their roster, it’s logical to believe Paul will come off Golden State’s bench, however, it would appear that nothing has been set in stone as of yet. Nevertheless, it’s clear that Lacob and Dunleavy believe the addition of Paul improves the Warriors’ roster, and that can only be a good thing for the aging franchise ahead of the new season.
