The Warriors are ready to win now, and they’ve reportedly acquired an 18-year NBA veteran guard in hopes of doing just that.
Golden State is sending Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards for 12-time All-Star Chris Paul, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday, citing sources.
The Warriors are also trading 20-year-old Ryan Rollins, who they drafted in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft, to the Wizards in addition to a protected first-round pick in 2030 and a second-round pick in 2027, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported, citing league sources.
The deal can’t become official until July 6 due to the poison pill restriction in Poole’s rookie extension after he signed a four-year, $128 million contract last October.
Paul, 38, was sent to the Washington Wizards in the Phoenix Suns’ trade for star guard Bradley Beal on Sunday. Charania reported Monday that the Wizards were going to wait and see if they could “flip him to a third team” and named the Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers as potential landing spots.
Paul, who’s entering his 19th NBA season at age 38, has two seasons left on his contract. The 12-time All-Star point guard is owed $30.8 million next season, and that money becomes guaranteed on June 28. Paul’s non-guaranteed $30 million on the books for the 2024-25 season becomes guaranteed next June.
Paul averaged 13.9 points and 8.9 assists in 32 minutes in 59 games with Phoenix last season. He helped the Suns beat the Clippers in five games in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs, but he suffered a groin injury in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Denver Nuggets and missed the rest of the series.