Warriors player Draymond Green reacts “brilliantly” to the Spurs’ signing of Chris Paul

The Golden State Warriors had some important decisions to make before the month of July. For one, they had to find the funds to entice the Los Angeles Clippers into a potential Paul George trade. When that didn’t work, the Warriors decided to release Chris Paul before his $30 million contract for the 2024-25 season was guaranteed. This paved the way for the San Antonio Spurs to sign the 39-year-old point guard to a risk-free, one-year, $11 million deal.

Point guard was the position the Spurs were most in demand at last season. They even tried using Jeremy Sochan at the one, but it was largely met with negative results. Signing Paul may not be as groundbreaking as it was in the past due to the veteran’s age-related decline in performance, but this move continues to be highly praised. the last man to be praised The Spurs’ signing of Paul is Warriors forward Draymond Green.

“CP, Pop, still a genius. Putting CP together with Wemby to teach this young guy is going to be great for Wemby,” Green said on the latest episode of his eponymous podcast. “That’s a genius move by the Spurs, man. Wow, that’s a genius move.”

But beyond Chris Paul’s impact on the Spurs’ roster and his tremendous help in the development of Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, to name a few, Draymond Green is also happy for Paul on a personal level. Paul may be nearing retirement, but the Warriors forward is happy that Paul has a new purpose in his career in his 20th year.

“For CP, in year 20, there’s an opportunity to lead the next young face, the next star in the NBA. That’s a great opportunity too. He gets a chance to mold him in some ways. What an honor, because you only get that when you’ve been as great as CP and are as respected as CP. That’s the only way you get that chance,” Green added.

Given the depth of the Western Conference, the Spurs may not be a sure bet to make the playoffs next season. But no one should be too surprised if the Spurs are in the hunt for a play-in spot in just the second year of Victor Wembanyama’s career as they try to slowly work their way into title contention.

Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama, a match made in heaven for Spurs

Chris Paul has seen everything there is to see in his 19 years in the NBA; he knows how to be professional to the best of his ability, and he has internalized every type of coverage and attacking tactic there is in the NBA. Knowledge is power, and experience is life’s greatest teacher, and the Spurs will get both with the 39-year-old Point God.

Last season, there were many moments where the Spurs guards missed Wembanyama’s free position under the basket. With Paul at the helm, there won’t be any such moments. Paul can work magic with the French prodigy in a two-man game. He averaged 21.4 points per game as a rookie, and with a future Hall of Famer as his coach, it’s not too hard to imagine Wembanyama scoring around 25 points a night, or even more, in his second season.

Additionally, Chris Paul should hold the point guard seat warm for rookie Stephon Castle, the man the Spurs consider their point guard of the future. The Spurs basically chose Castle over Rob Dillingham; but at least Castle has the profile of a much better defensive talent than Dillingham and is also a winner. Castle now needs to improve his long-range shooting, but Paul will be a big help to him in doing so. As a rookie, Paul hit 28.3 percent of his threes, but that was the only time in his career he hit fewer than 30 percent of his threes in a single season.

Draymond Green admits CP3 was important during his brief stint with the Warriors

The 2023-24 season was the lowest-performing of Chris Paul’s career. His numbers dropped across the board, as did his shooting efficiency, as being moved to the bench did not help him at all.

However, Paul continued to be as present as possible in the locker room during the Warriors’ difficult season. Draymond Green in particular appreciates everything he learned from Point God during what was a turbulent season for him personally.

“One year with (Paul) and I was like, ‘Man, I really love this guy. He’s unbelievable. One of the best teammates I’ve ever had.’ And then he’s gone,” Green added. “CP is one of the best veterans I’ve ever known, and I just spent a year with him as a veteran myself.”