The Warriors decided to shake things up this offseason, executing a deal that sends Jordan Poole to the Wizards in exchange for Chris Paul, who is set to enter his 19th NBA season.
While neither franchise has made the deal official yet, the dust is beginning to settle and the reality of Paul joining Golden State is setting in. As Stephen Curry prepares to participate in TNT's "The Match" golf event, he made his first public comments on the deal that sends out his perceived heir apparent in exchange for his longtime adversary.
"The business is crazy," Curry said to The Athletic's Anthony Slater. "If you asked us six months ago if this was something that could happen, the answer probably would’ve been no just based on where we were."
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Rewind six months and the Warriors had their focus fully set on defending an impressive NBA title — the fourth of Curry's career and the first for Poole, who played an integral role throughout the team's Finals run.
After six months of ups and downs that were punctuated by a disappointing exit in the Western Conference Semifinals, newly-minted general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. decided to make a big move to improve the team, something Curry acknowledged to Slater.
"Every team that [Paul] has been on gets better," Curry said of his new teammate. "That’s the most consistent thing about him, and who he is and what he brings to the team. Everybody’s going to talk about the age. It’s on us to put that all together and figure out how all the pieces work.
"You hate losing [Poole]. I know it’s not all the way official yet. So I don’t want to talk too much before it is. But that’s the tough part of the business, seeing a young guy come into his own (and then get traded)."
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Poole, who was selected with the 28th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, truly began to come into his own during the 2021-22 season, where he averaged 18.5 points and 4.0 assists per game, stepping up as Klay Thompson rehabbed from injury and in place of Curry when injury forced him out of the lineup.
In the 2022 offseason, Poole was rewarded with a four-year contract extension worth up to $140 million. The 2023-24 season marks the first year of the extension he signed.
After averaging a career-best 20.4 points per game this past season, Poole had his fair share of well-documented struggles in the postseason, where his scoring average dipped to 10.3 points per game and his efficiency tanked.
As it is part of the business, the trade doesn't signify Golden State hitting the "reset" button, but rather the "refresh" button, providing a new start for all parties involved, including Paul, who is still in search of that elusive NBA title.
