Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob initially wasn't a fan of trading for Chris Paul. However, he was later convinced that it could be a game-changing move for the franchise.
Lacob admitted as much in a recent appearance on “The TK Show” podcast with Tim Kawakami, adding that he really thought it was “highly unlikely” for the Dubs to pull the trigger on the deal. In the end, though, the Warriors opted to trade for Paul while sending away a package centered around Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards.
“Chris Paul? When I first heard that and thought about it, was like, ‘Really?' It seemed highly unlikely we would do that,” Lacob explained, via Audacy.
“But the more we thought about it and considered our options, we thought, ‘Hey, he's a great player. He's always made other people better.' He hasn't won a championship yet, but maybe he can do that with our group. It would be a hell of a storybook ending to his career or year-ending, if he was able to do it with us. We kinda warmed to the idea.”
While there are concerns from those outside the organization about Chris Paul's fit with the Warriors, it doesn't look like it's going to be an issue.
Aside from Joe Lacob, both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson loved the trade for CP3. In previous interviews, the Splash Bros. were really receptive of the Point God's addition, with Steph himself admitting it's a “surreal” feeling.
“It's the most surreal thing in the world because he was big brother, and he is big brother in the sense of when I was coming up as a rookie, he showed me the ropes. And you go into battle for playoff position, championships and all that, and there's a lot of history. He's in year 18, I'm in year 15. It's just amazing that we get to do it together now. I'm gonna enjoy the ride,” Curry shared.
As for Thompson, he emphasized how “lucky” the Warriors are to acquire a player of Paul's caliber.
Warriors' Chris Paul trade a major shocker
For what it's worth, similar to Joe Lacob's initial sentiments, many were shocked when the Warriors actually traded for Chris Paul. In fact, Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves revealed that he thought it was fake news. That is a totally understandable reaction since Paul plays a different brand of basketball compared to the Dubs.
While Golden State's offense is predicated on passing, Paul thrives with the ball on his hands and setting up his teammates. He is the most effective with a rim-running big man alongside him, while the Warriors have been known for their small-ball.
“That was random. One of the coaches… told me. I was like, you’re probably looking at the wrong… I think that’s ButtCrackSports, that always puts out false stuff,” Reaves said of the trade.
Of course there are others who also have doubts about the deal. NBA insider Brian Windhorst previously expressed belief that Golden State made the move as a “salary dump” since they can't afford to keep their core together while still keeping Jordan Poole's mammoth four-year, $128 million deal.
“The issue is the way Chris Paul plays is not really the way the Warriors play. The honest thing is this deal was made largely as a salary dump… I absolutely believe Chris Paul can help them. Making an assumption that it’s a huge addition, I’m not there yet,” Windhorst explained.
Former Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins had similar thoughts, adding that he doesn't really see Paul as a significant upgrade for the Dubs that would elevate them and make them title contenders once again.
“I'm going to be honest, I didn't understand the Chris Paul trade. Then I looked at it as if maybe this is just a contract thing. Maybe they want to free up the books for the next season. But as far as it being about basketball, the x's and o's on the court, I don't really see that elevating the Golden State Warriors, to be honest,” Cousins said.
To be fair, it's natural to have doubts about the Warriors' move. Lacob said it himself, he didn't really think it would be a good fit at first. Perhaps like the Dubs owner, others will warm up to the idea later on, or when Paul starts playing and he proves he could be effective for Golden State. For now, it's unlikely the concerns will disappear.
Sure enough, Warriors fans are hoping for the best and they soon see what Lacob and the Warriors front office realized before making the Paul trade.
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