Warriors' Chris Paul Out vs. James Harden, Clippers Due to Nerve Injury in Leg

Golden State Warriors star Chris Paul will miss his team's game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday with a nerve injury to his lower left leg, per an official NBA injury report.

While it wasn't the most consequential trade of the NBA offseason, Paul's move to the Bay Area might have provided the biggest surprise.

There was no love lost between the 38-year-old and the Warriors thanks to their past playoff clashes. Golden State's Klay Thompson admitted to Anthony Slater of The Athletic it was "a little weird" to now be teammates with CP3 before acknowledging what the Hall of Fame-bound floor general could bring.

In theory, Paul addressed a problem that has lingered throughout the Warriors' prolonged run of success. Their productivity noticeably fell off whenever Stephen Curry was off the floor, and now they had a proven point guard who ensure that's no longer the case.

The fit wasn't perfect, though, because Paul typically plays at a slower pace than Golden State is used to. His injury record presented a clear risk as well.

The 12-time All-Star missed 23 games in the 2022-23 regular season and saw his postseason yet again end prematurely thanks to a groin strain.

The Warriors will have planned to be without Paul for a game or two now and then, whether down to a minor injury or load management. The trouble comes if those absences begin to add up and hinder the process of getting him to fully jell with the squad.