Warriors' Steve Kerr on Chris Paul Trade: 'Very Confident' It's Going to Work Out

The Chris Paul experiment in San Francisco is set to begin next season, and Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr feels good about the outlook.

"All of that will happen in training camp," Kerr said (via Shayna Rubin of The Mercury News). "Until we get everyone on the floor, we won't be able to assess what's best for our team and how everything is going to look. But I'm very confident that it's going to work out. We got great guys and we got champions, great competitors. There's one goal next year, and that's to win at the highest possible level. Everything else will unfold as the season does."

The 12-time All-Star was dealt to Golden State in the aftermath of the Bradley Beal trade to the Phoenix Suns, and the team may present Paul's best chance at grasping his first ever NBA Championship.

Still, the optics of the fit, especially surrounding Paul's place in the lineup, are a bit confusing.

Paul has started 1,214 games in his NBA career, which is also every single game he has suited up in. However, his production has slightly waned, with his 2023 stat line of 13.9 points, 8.9 assists and 4.3 assists in 59 games being among his career lows.

While these numbers are still very solid and definitely starting-caliber, it may not be the best move given Golden State's star-studded lineup. Having Paul come off the bench could give the Warriors a game changer joining the lineup when fatigue sets in, and also could help Paul with load management and easing his 38-year-old body into a true veteran's role.

Still, the Warriors are in a win-now mode, and it will be up to Kerr to manage personalities and strategies in order to put the best product possible on the court.

Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are the prominent guards on the team, although Thompson shifted to small forward for the 2022-23 season. Moses Moody and 2023 first-round pick Brandin Podziemski could assume bigger roles following the departure of Jordan Poole and Donte DiVincenzo.

Golden State won the 2022 NBA Championship, their fourth with the current core, but fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semi-Finals in 2023.