Golden State Warriors Send Chris Paul To Another Western Conference Powerhouse In Massive Trade Proposal

HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 29: Chris Paul #3 of the Golden State Warriors brings the ball up court in the second half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 29, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
An intriguing blockbuster trade proposal has the Golden State Warriors sending All-Star guard Chris Paul to another Western Conference heavyweight.

After the Phoenix Suns sent Paul to the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster deal that brought Bradley Beal over to The Desert, CP3 was flipped to the Warriors — giving him the opportunity to win his first championship ring with the dynastic organization.

The 38-year-old Paul is seeing the lowest usage of his career, averaging 27.7 minutes per game on the star-studded Warriors roster. If the two sides eventually agree to a trade, could one of the Warriors’ top rivals emerge as a potential trade partner?

At NBA Analysis Network, James Piercey proposed a blockbuster trade idea that has Golden State sending Paul and a 2026 lottery protected first-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish and D’Angelo Russell:

If (Klay) Thompson wants a significant enough deal, the Warriors may not want to extend him no matter what the rest of their books look like. If so, they’ll need backcourt depth for the next few years.

Unless the Warriors intend on completely rebuilding, they’ll need to replace Thompson. Russell is a vastly different player, but he is a good playmaker and sufficient floor spacer who’s already familiar with the Warriors’ system.

With that said, Vincent is a more comparable player to Thompson. For Golden State, this is about keeping a talented enough roster to contend over the next few years.”

Klay Thompson is in the final year of his contract and looks poised to hit free agency next summer, so Piercey’s trade proposal makes plenty of sense here. Vincent is one of the league’s better three-point shooters, and Russell is capable of putting up 20-plus points in any given night.

Paul isn’t in his prime anymore, but he could be a better fit on a Lakers team that relies too much on 38-year-old LeBron James and the injury-prone Anthony Davis to carry the offense.