In typical NBA fashion, things have really started to heat up now that the NBA Finals are over. While the Los Angeles Lakers made the small move of trading up from 47 to 40 in the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday, the Golden State Warriors decided to make a blockbuster move.
Golden State traded Jordan Poole, Ryan Rollins, a 2027 second-round pick and a protected 2030 first-round pick to the Washington Wizards for veteran point guard, Chris Paul. This loops the Warriors in as the third team in the initial Paul for Bradley Beal trade.
Paul was viewed as a potential target for the Lakers when he was initially traded to the Wizards. If the Lake Show really wanted to the team could have traded for Paul, but in a perfect world, he would have gotten bought out and signed with LA for cheap.
That is obviously off the table with the Warriors trading for the future Hall of Famer. But CP3 isn’t the only potential target that the Lakers lost because of this trade. In fact, two birds were killed with one stone thanks to one headline-grabbing deal.
Draymond Green is likely off the table for the Lakers after the Chris Paul trade.
Draymond Green opted out of his player option with the Golden State Warriors that was set to pay him $27.5 million next season. While he would likely get a similar deal in free agency, Green is rightfully looking for a multi-year contract to secure more guaranteed money.
Even at that price point, Green was possible for the Lakers. With Green being a Klutch Sports client and being good friends with LeBron James, it seemed like Los Angeles was the most likely place for Draymond to go.
And while it is still possible, this CP3 trade really huts the chances of that happening. It is now much more likely for Draymond to return to the Warriors for three reasons, and they all center around Poole.
First of all, Green and Poole obviously had a weird relationship after Draymond decided to deck him in the face before the season. It is impossible to deny that Poole would have at least contributed to Green’s departure if he was going to leave.
Second of all, this gives the Warriors a better chance of contending. Poole was really bad in the playoffs last season and while Paul has his faults, his experience and playmaking ability as a third guard is going to be huge for Golden State when the game slows down in the playoffs.
Finally, this gives Golden State the ability to pay Green after this season. While it will still send the Warriors into luxury tax hell (somewhere the team has lived for several years), there is less money on the books in the future. Paul is on an expiring contract. The team saved just under $30 million on the cap for 2024-25, $31.8 million for 2025-26 and $34 million for 2026-27.
Golden State can now stomach a three-year, $80 million contract for Green. Sure, it might overpay him a tad in year two or three but he was still a very impactful player last season and is a core part of the franchise’s DNA.
For some Lakers fans, this is a relief as the Draymond fit was always a weird one. However, this one deal could end up being the move every fan looks back on if the Warriors make a deeper push in the playoffs than the Lakers.