Mike Dunleavy calls Chris Paul’s contract situation with the Warriors ‘difficult’ – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

June 25, 2024

It’s a busy time for the Warriors’ decision makers.

Monday was the deadline to guarantee Kevon Looney’s contract, the 2024 NBA Draft takes place on Thursday and Friday, and free agency starts on Sunday, June 30. And that’s not all.

The Warriors also don’t have much time to wait before they must decide whether or not to exercise guard Chris Paul’s $30 million team option for the 2024-25 NBA season, a deadline set for Friday, June 28.

During his pre-draft press conference on Monday, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy did not provide any concrete information about the team’s plans for Paul.

“We know what it is. We’ve planned for it,” Dunleavy told reporters. “I think it’s harder to balance the salary with the quality of the player and take that into account, which makes it difficult.”

In addition to accepting or declining Paul’s team option, the Warriors are also interested in trading the veteran point guard before the deadline, according to reports from NBA insider Marc Stein. To facilitate a transfer, Stein mentioned the possibility that the Warriors and Paul could mutually agree to extend the deadline to July.

Dunleavy commented on the organization’s stance regarding the timing of Paul’s contract and its potential flexibility.

“I’m OK with the date. I guess we’ll see if that changes,” Dunleavy said. “But for now, I’m OK with it. I understand the rules. We’re going to follow them.”

In his first season with the team in 2023-24, Paul was a key part of the Warriors’ bench, averaging 9.2 points and 6.8 assists per game in 58 appearances. It’s not often that a team can sign a 12-time All-Star to replace a 10-time All-Star, but the Warriors had that luxury with Paul playing behind Steph Curry.

Still, $30 million is a very high price to pay for a backup point guard – especially for a team already struggling with salary cap space. We’ll have to wait and see how Dunleavy and the Warriors proceed with Paul and the other upcoming roster decisions.

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