Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson give their initial reaction to Warriors’ trade for Chris Paul

Steph Curry and Klay Thompson spoke to the media in preparation for Thursday’s “The Match,” TNT’s annual golf event in which the “Splash Bros” will take on Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs. In a recent interview for The Athletic, Anthony Slater got a chance to ask the pair for their thoughts on the Golden State Warriors’ recent flurry of moves.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson agreed that the addition of Chris Paul gives the Golden State Warriors another veteran presence whose track record speaks for itself.

Among other topics, including the hiring of Mike Dunleavy Jr. as general manager and the shocking departure of Jordan Poole, Slater asked Curry and Thompson how the recent acquisition of Chris Paul will benefit the team.

"“Every team that CP has been on gets better,” said Curry. “That’s the most consistent thing about him, and who he is and what he brings to the team. Everybody’s going to talk about the age. It’s on us to put that all together and figure out how all the pieces work.”"

Klay did acknowledge the “weird” reality of his new teammate being such a big adversary over the years, but like Steph, Thompson credited Paul with being an all-time point guard, speaking highly of CP3’s veteran leadership.

"“Any time you get to play with a player who is one of the best of your generation it’s an honor. It’s a little weird because we’ve had so many battles in the past with Chris, and he’s led so many teams that nearly knocked us off or did knock us off all the way back in 2014. I think he’s just going to add such a calming presence and leadership component that we need.”"

The Warriors’ Paul-for-Poole deal with the Washington Wizards makes a lot of sense for Golden State, considering that youth and immaturity held them back last season.

The Warriors’ envisioned a two-timeline plan where Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green could ride out the final years of their prime competing for more championships, while Golden State simultaneously focused on developing the next generation of their dynasty. However, balancing the need to win-now with developing young players is a delicate task, and the Warriors couldn’t exercise the patience required to see the vision through.

By waving goodbye to Jordan Poole, the Warriors have pushed all their chips into the middle of the table in an obvious effort to maximize their championship window and win-now.

"“You hate losing JP… but that’s the tough part of the business”, Curry continued. “It’s a great opportunity for him. It’s just you get to know someone like that, build a friendship, build a bond. It’s tough to see him go. But, you know, we’re trying to win next year and CP can help us do that.”"