By trading for Chris Paul, the Warriors are adding one of their biggest rivals. The two sides have engaged in playoff battles while Paul was with the Clippers and Rockets, but Golden State got the best of the star point guard more often than not.
For the first time since the trade, Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson discussed what it will be like to play with Paul. Curry, who hasn’t always gotten along with Paul, praised the veteran for consistently raising the level of play on his teams.
“Every team that CP has been on gets better,” Curry said, via The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. “That’s the most consistent thing about him, and who he is and what he brings to the team. Everybody’s going to talk about the age. It’s on us to put that all together and figure out how all the pieces work.”
Thompson agreed with Curry, giving Paul credit for being an all-time great point guard. However, Thompson did acknowledge how strange it may be to play with Paul at first.
“Any time you get to play with a player who is one of the best of your generation, it’s an honor,” Thompson said. “It’s a little weird because we’ve had so many battles in the past with Chris, and he’s led so many teams that nearly knocked us off or did knock us off all the way back in 2014. I think he’s just going to add such a calming presence and leadership component that we need.”
In trading for Paul, the Warriors sent Jordan Poole, a key member of the team’s championship roster in 2022, to the Wizards. Curry mentioned that Golden State will miss Poole and he’s sad to see the four-year veteran leave.
“The tough part of the business, seeing a young guy come into his own [and then get traded],” Curry said. “It’s a great opportunity for him. It’s just you get to know someone like that, build a friendship, build a bond. It’s tough to see him go.”
