A mixed bag of emotions is probably the best phrase to describe the Golden State Warriors' season. There were days of jubilee and those of sorrow, with Tuesday being a part of the latter. The Warriors fell in a 118-94 blowout against the Sacramento Kings, ending their campaign in the Play-Ins. With another early exit, the future remains uncertain for some of the team's aging veterans — one of whom is Chris Paul. Following Tuesday's elimination, Paul just missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2009-10 season, ending his streak of 14 years. (per Bleacher Report)
CP3 hasn't missed the postseason since the 2009-10 season 🤯 pic.twitter.com/yDAeXMrzML
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 17, 2024
Chris Paul's season with the Warriors
Prior to the start of the season, the Washington Wizards immediately shipped Paul to the Warriors after acquiring him from the Phoenix Suns. Fans were curious to see how the point guard would fare alongside Stephen Curry, the man whom Paul has been battling against for the past decade.
Paul played a total of 58 games this season, missing most of January and February after undergoing wrist surgery. He only had 18 starts, seeing action mostly as the second unit's floor general. Throughout the team's campaign, Paul averaged 9.2 points while leading the Warriors in assists with 6.8 a game. His numbers may have dropped compared to previous seasons, but that was to be expected, considering how he isn't the main point guard anymore.
A dynasty in decline
Despite Paul's acquisition, it was clear that the Warriors still had dents in their armor. They started the season strong, going 5-1 to begin their campaign. However, the losses started piling up, and the Dubs suddenly went from a winning team to one that could barely reach a .500 record. Coupled with plenty of young players on the roster, the team's renowned veterans were dealing with struggles of their own.
Klay Thompson saw a decrease in scoring this year. The sharpshooter finished the year with 17.9 points per game — a drop compared to his usual 20-point average seasons. Thompson also experienced stretches of games with shooting slumps and this eventually led to his benching at one point.
Draymond Green, on the other hand, dealt with two suspensions during the season because of on-court incidents. The second of his sanctions became a concern for the Warriors, as Green was handed an indefinite suspension after striking Jusuf Nurkic in the face during a game. Green was eventually re-instated after 12 games, much to the relief of the team.
Moving forward
With a roller-coaster season in the books, where do Paul and the Warriors go from here?
Paul has a non-guaranteed deal for next season while Thompson is set to enter free agency. This brings up discussions on whether or not Golden State will decide to move on from several of their veterans and re-tool Curry's supporting cast.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA's tax line for next season is $172 million. Assuming Gary Payton picks up his player option, the Warriors currently have around $137 million in guaranteed salary for the upcoming season. This does not include Chris Paul, Kevon Looney (partial guarantee) and Gui Santos who — as mentioned with Paul earlier — have non-guaranteed deals. Paul's alone is already worth $30 million. It obviously doesn't include Thompson as well, who is yet to sign an extension.
As for any potential trades that may arise, Stephen Curry might be the only untouchable name this offseason, looking at how the year ended. Anything can happen, so fans have to be ready because the Warriors have big decisions to make in the near future.
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