NBA: Wizards Send Newly Acquired Chris Paul to Warriors For Jordan Poole, Draft Picks

According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, the Golden State Warriors have acquired veteran point guard Chris Paul from the Washington Wizards. This trade comes shortly after Paul was acquired by the Wizards in a deal that sent Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns. As part of the trade, the Wizards will receive Jordan Poole, a 2027 second-round draft pick, and a 2030 protected first-round draft pick, as reported by Fischer and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Sounds like Jordan Poole will be heading to Washington in a deal that will bring Chris Paul to the four-time champion Golden State Warriors.

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 22, 2023

Quite a Few Moving Parts to this Deal

Jordan Poole, who had a breakout season with the Warriors last year, averaging a career-high 20.4 points and 4.5 assists, signed a four-year, $128 million contract extension with the team. However, the Warriors’ plans to keep him for the long term changed swiftly. Paul was initially traded to the Wizards on Sunday, along with Landry Shamet and several draft picks. This move sent Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns, where he joins forces with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Deandre Ayton in a bid to contend for an immediate championship. The trade was finalized on Thursday, unveiling a significant number of picks and pick swaps. While Paul was part of the trade package, it appears that the Wizards had no intention of retaining him. Paul, who is 38 years old, has two years remaining on his four-year, $120 million contract that he initially signed with the Suns. Reports also suggested that the Los Angeles Clippers had shown interest in reuniting with Paul, but no deal materialized.

Washington and Phoenix have finalized the Bradley Beal trade, landing the Wizards six second-round draft picks and four first-round pick swaps, sources tell ESPN. Suns are sending seconds in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2030. Pick swaps in 2024, 2026, 2028 and 2030.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2023

Can Golden State Compete For Titles Again?

Now, Chris Paul will join forces with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in San Francisco, becoming part of a team that has made it to the NBA Finals six times in the past nine seasons. Despite his career-low averages of 13.9 points and 8.9 assists last season, Paul has never won a championship himself. With the twilight of his career approaching, this opportunity with the Warriors could potentially be the one that finally helps the future Hall of Famer secure a ring before his retirement.