Warriors' Steve Kerr on Chris Paul's Fit with Curry, Offense: We'll Meet Halfway

When the Golden State Warriors acquired Chris Paul this summer, there were immediate questions about how he would fit into the offense alongside Stephen Curry.

However, Dubs head coach Steve Kerr doesn't seem too concerned, telling reporters that both sides will put in the work to help the offense click:

"We're going to run plenty of pick-and-roll because Chris is one of the best pick-and-roll players in the world. But he's also showing he's very interested in incorporating some of the stuff we already do—our split cut game and our movement. He's such a smart player that he's already figured out ways to be effective. We're going to lean into him and he's going to lean into us, and we'll meet halfway and the offense will form."

During an appearance on NBA Today in August, ESPN's Brian Windhorst voiced some skepticism about Paul's fit in the Golden State offense.

"The way Chris Paul plays is not the way the Warriors play," Windhorst said. "... This deal was made largely as a salary dump… Making an assumption that it's a huge addition—I'm not there yet."

Windhorst also appeared on NBA Today last month, reiterating that the Warriors made the deal as a salary dump and didn't trade for Paul because they believed he would be an "amazing fit" in their offense.

"Remember, part of the reason they did this deal was a salary dump," Windhorst said. "It wasn't like they looked at this and said, 'Oh my God, this fit is amazing.'"

Paul is under contract through the 2024-25 season but his salary for next year is not fully guaranteed. Jordan Poole, whom the Warriors offloaded to the Washington Wizards in the Paul deal, is set to earn $123 million over the next four seasons.

By trading for Paul, the Warriors could have the money to keep their core of Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson intact for a little longer. Curry and Green are already locked up, but Thompson is due to for an extension.

Paul is expected to play in Golden State's starting lineup alongside Curry this season, according to ESPN's Marc Spears, so both sides are going to have to make it work if the Dubs hope to be successful.

"I do expect him to start. And I think it's like five-minute spurts," Spears said. "I don't know that they really want his minutes to be high, but I think they're gonna try it. I could be wrong, but that's the gist I'm getting. This isn't an opinion that he's expected to start. It's what I'm hearing. He's never not started in his career."

If the lineup combination isn't working, it's also possible Paul will play off the bench or play non-Curry minutes. With training camp having kicked off this week, the Warriors still have some time to see how things are working before the regular season begins.