The Golden State Warriors and future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul made the decision to push back the team’s option on his $30 milllion non-guaranted contract until Sunday.
Paul, 39, had been working with the Warriors to help facilitate a trade. It would have been a way for Golden State to get something for the 12-time All-Star while Paul retained a portion of that non-guaranteed money.
Alas, it was not to be.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Sunday afternoon that the Warriors have opted to waive Paul, enabling him to hit free agency.
This comes on the heels of the Warriors being unable to land Paul George in a trade that would have included Paul heading to the Los Angeles Clippers. Once Golden State was unable to come to common ground with the Clippers on a deal, George opted out of his contract. That made it impossible for the Warriors to land the nine-time All-Star.
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What’s next for the Golden State Warriors after Chris Paul contract decision?
The Warriors were never going to pay Paul $30 million next season. That was never in the cards. However, it’s surprising that general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Co. were unable to find a trade partner for his expiring contract.
At the very least, one would think that the Chicago Bulls might be willing to take on Paul’s expiring deal in order to move Zach LaVine’s contract. Apparently, Golden State is not interested in the injury-plagued wing.
Things are quickly unraveling for the Warriors. Their inability to land George creates some major issues with NBA free agency opening. They are hard-capped, meaning the Warriors can’t sign anyone beyond the tax-payer mid-level exception. Letting Paul leave after one season for nothing in return is not a great look for this organization.