“I didn’t understand the Chris Paul trade”: Former Warrior DeMarcus Cousin is baffled at point god’s addition to Stephen Curry’s side

DeMarcus Cousins is one of probably thousands of basketball fans who raised their eyebrows when the Golden State Warriors traded for Chris Paul. The Dubs sent Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards to acquire “CP3.”

In an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio, Cousins bluntly opined:

“Imma be honest. I didn’t understand the Chris Paul trade. Maybe this is just a contract thing. Maybe they wanna free up the books for the next season.

“He is up in age. You got rid of a young, youthful guy for an aging veteran. I’m not taking away anything Chris Paul has done throughout his career. I’m just speaking on this stage of his career. I don’t see him elevating the Golden State Warriors.”

Cousins, however, is giving some room for the Warriors and Paul union to eventually work out:

“Hey, I could be wrong! He could find the fountain of youth this summer and come out and win MVP, Sixth Man of the Year. Who knows?”

The first of Jordan Poole’s four-year $128 million deal will kick in next season. The Golden State Warriors haven’t even started Draymond Green’s new contract and they were already looking at a staggering luxury tax penalty.

Poole’s trade gives the Warriors a little bit of breathing room, which they partly used to give Green an extension. The move to deal the four-year guard also allows the Dubs to give Klay Thompson close to a max deal next season.

More than adjusting the payroll, Golden State may see Chris Paul as a better alternative to Jordan Poole to maximize Steph Curry’s championship window.

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Chris Paul may give the Golden State Warriors a better window to win a championship than Jordan Poole

When healthy, Chris Paul remains a solid player. On some nights, he can put in a vintage performance that reminds people why he’s considered one of the best point guards of all time.

The caveat is he always almost gets dinged up in the biggest situations, especially in the playoffs. If the Golden State Warriors can afford not to tax him in the regular season, he may not be as unfortunate in the postseason.

Jordan Poole, even when healthy, was nearly unplayable in the playoffs last season. Many thought that his dismal series against the Sacramento Kings in the first round was only a hiccup. Shaquille O’Neal, who predicted a repeat for the Warriors, even predicted he would bounce back.

It only got worse against LeBron James and the LA Lakers. Darvin Ham brutally hunted Poole on defense, punishing him in pick-and-rolls and switches. As the series wore on, Warriors coach Steve Kerr clearly lost faith in the guard.

Against the Lakers, Poole averaged 8.3 points, hitting 34.5% of his shots, including 25.0% from deep.

The Golden State Warriors are hoping Chris Paul will be much better in limited minutes. In the playoffs versus the Denver Nuggets, “CP3” averaged 12.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 5.0 RPG and 1.7 SPG. Despite his age, he was more impactful on both ends of the floor.