Chris Paul given 'saddest' welcome at Golden State Warriors following NBA switch

11 July 2023 , 20:38

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Chris Paul left the Phoenix Suns for the Golden State Warriors (Image: Getty Images)

Chris Paul might not be the player he once was - but fans insist he deserved a better welcome from the Golden State Warriors.

The trade to send CP3 to the Warriors became official last week, with the team moving on from Jordan Poole after giving him a huge contract extension last off-season. The deal appeared to be one the Warriors wanted to complete in order to rid themselves of Poole's contract, rather than seeing the point-guard as a player to help them get back to competing for championships.

Paul, 38, remains one of the better players at his position in the league and will go down as one of the greatest to ever do it. But fans felt the Warriors official announcement for confirming him as the newest signing felt somewhat disrespectful.

Days after the trade was made official by the Washington Wizards with Poole holding a press conference after joining the team, the Warriors simply posted an image of Paul holding an creased Warriors jersey which looked to be in a non-descript room with no backdrop. Another angle of the image was shared on social media, which showed Paul literally had been around sixth-feet away from a bin - hardly the announcement that his legendary status truly deserves.

Fans across Twitter were in the comments section slating the Warriors for their lack of effort in the announcement, with many having the same message of: "CP3 deserves better". The trade was always going to be seen as an interesting one, with Paul playing the same position as the team's legitimate superstar in Steph Curry, with it being suggested that the point guard could come off the bench for the first time in his career.

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The Warriors may also opt to move Curry to shooting guard, with Klay Thompson then being deployed at small forward in a new-look scheme. But Paul is looking forward to the move, having yet to won a championship throughout his illustrious career. He told NBA Today: "It’s the only thing missing (winning a championship), that’s pretty obvious. I’m going into my 19th season, and every season has been the same plan, going and trying to win a championship. That’s not going to change this year."

It was the second time Paul was traded in June, after being moved on from the Phoenix Suns to the Wizards in the Bradley Beal trade.

Charlie Wilson