The Golden State Warriors have waived veteran point guard Chris Paul ahead of his $30 million contract guarantee date on Sunday, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. As a result, Paul will now be an unrestricted free agent and is free to sign with any team.
In the weeks and months leading up to the start of free agency, there had been much speculation about Paul's future in the Bay Area.
Given his waning production and the Warriors' already expensive roster, it was always unlikely that he would be on the team next season at $30 million. However, the team could have guaranteed the contract in order to use it in a trade as a matching salary. Now that he's waived, that is no longer a possibility. There is, however, a chance that he could re-sign with the Warriors on an less expensive deal, though it remains unclear if either party wants to continue the relationship, or if Golden Sate can logistically speaking.
Paul was traded twice last summer, first from the Phoenix Suns to the Washington Wizards as part of the Bradley Beal swap. Then, the Wizards sent him to the Warriors in exchange for Jordan Poole, Patrick Baldwin Jr., Ryan Rollins, a 2030 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.
Despite questions regarding Paul's fit, he was largely a productive player when he was able to stay on the floor. The Warriors' most-used lineup, which included Paul had a plus-18.2 net rating over 17 games, and he averaged 9.2 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 37.1% from 3-point land. However, he broke his hand in January and was limited to 55 games.
Paul, now 39 years old, will be entering his 20th season. Despite his age, he will likely have plenty of suitors, especially if he's willing to assume a back-up role. The one item missing from his lengthy resume is a championship, and there's no doubt he'll still be eager to chase one.
