NBA Rumors: Warriors Tried to Trade for Chris Paul Before Bradley Beal, Suns Deal

The Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors were reportedly among the teams that were in contact with the Phoenix Suns to discuss a Chris Paul trade before he was sent to Washington in the Bradley Beal blockbuster.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the interest in Paul from Phoenix's Western Conference foes on FanDuel TV on Monday.

The Suns agreed to trade Paul, Landry Shamet, multiple future second-round picks and a pick swap to the Washington Wizards for Beal on Sunday, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal came amid questions about Paul's future in Phoenix, with rumors cropping up that the team may waive the future Hall of Famer to save $15 million on its 2023-24 cap.

Instead, the Suns went the radical route, going all-in on an expensive Big Three of Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Phoenix also has Deandre Ayton under contract at more than $30 million annually but could explore trading the 2018 No. 1 overall pick for depth.

While it's moot at this point, it's worth delving into how the Warriors would have made a Paul trade work—if only because there's only one obvious option: Jordan Poole. Golden State could have moved Poole to Phoenix or a third party and acquired Paul for the 2023-24 season while also providing some much-needed financial relief.

Assuming Draymond Green returns on a long-term contract, the Warriors are set to blow past the second tax apron introduced in the new collective bargaining agreement. Teams that are $17.5 million or more over the tax apron now face stiff restrictions on free-agent signings, trades and even future draft picks.

Poole will make at least $128 million over the next two seasons. Paul's $30 million salary for 2024-25 is completely non-guaranteed. The Warriors could have traded Poole for Paul and then waived the veteran guard a year from now, potentially ducking under the second apron in the process.

The Clippers could cobble together Eric Gordon and one more semi-expensive role player to match Paul's salary, as it does not appear governor Steve Ballmer fears the new tax apron.

Both teams are worth monitoring in the coming days as the Wizards seek a trade partner for Paul's contract.