The Washington Wizards are re-routing Chris Paul to the Golden State Warriors from the Bradley Beal trade with the Suns, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Warriors are sending Jordan Poole and draft compensation back to the Wizards for Paul. According to Shams Charania, the draft picks are a protected 2030 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick. Ryan Rollins is also going to Washington in the deal, along with Patrick Baldwin Jr.
The main asset for Washington in this deal is Poole, who never quite clicked this season with the Warriors after his dust-up with Draymond Green in the preseason. Poole was seen as a rising star for Golden State during the team’s title run in 2022 and was given a massive extension, but the new CBA and harsher luxury tax penalties have forced the Warriors to make this decision.
Paul provides a veteran presence for Golden State and will allow Stephen Curry to play off the ball a bit more, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll be able to meaningfully contribute to a team hoping to make one more championship run. The dynamics of this partnership are certainly going to be interesting, since Paul and the Warriors have a checkered history from the point guard’s days with the Clippers and Rockets. Maybe Paul’s desire to win a championship will help bury the hatchet from the past.
For the Wizards, Poole isn’t a bad long-term add. He’s signed through 2026-27 and can provide a leading scorer with Kristaps Porzingis going to the Celtics after Wednesday’s deal. Poole isn’t someone Washington can build around but is a good complimentary piece if draft picks like Johnny Davis, Corey Kispert and Deni Avdija start to pan out. Poole averaged a career-high 20 points per game this past season for the Warriors, mostly coming off the bench.