Chris Paul: 'Hell Naw' Could've Pictured Myself on Warriors; Discusses Trade Reaction

Fans weren't the only ones shocked seeing Chris Paul land with the Golden State Warriors this offseason.

The Hall of Fame point guard said he was floored by donning Warriors gear himself.

"Hell naw, ain't no way. There is no way," Paul said on the Sloane Knows Podcast when asked if he ever thought he would play for the Warriors. "And it's so fun and kind of cool, that it ain't a pink elephant in the room. I remember me and Steph worked out together in Vegas and a few of the coaches walked in. They saw me in Warriors gear, and they were like, 'This is crazy.'"

The Warriors traded Jordan Poole, Patrick Baldwin Jr., Ryan Rollins, a 2030 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick to the Washington Wizards for Paul during the offseason. The move was largely motivated by finances (aka getting out of Poole's contract) and locker-room harmony after Poole and Draymond Green's altercation last season.

That said, Paul landing in Golden State was jarring given his past back-and-forths with the team. His fake laugh at Steve Kerr was one of the most famous memes of this NBA generation, and Green and Paul have had several sparring matches over the years.

The Warriors will hope Paul's presence brings stabilization back to the locker room after the team struggled with chemistry in its title defense last season. Paul's willingness to buy in with Kerr and get along behind the scenes will be paramount to that effort.