Golden State Warriors: Late add-in to Chris Paul trade could become big deal

Jordan Poole for Chris Paul. That was the center of the Golden State Warriors’ blockbuster draft day trade last month. The franchise’s decision to move their talented young guard for the 38-year-old veteran can only truly be evaluated once they take to the floor next season, but that waiting time isn’t necessary for another potentially big element of the deal.

As the realization of the reported trade was finally setting in on the night of June 22, the Warriors and Wizards orchestrated one more move as part of the transaction. Golden State sent last year’s first-round pick, Patrick Baldwin Jr., to Washington in exchange for the 57th overall pick which they utilized on Trayce Jackson-Davis.

As their respective careers develop at different teams, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Patrick Baldwin Jr. will forever be linked for their part in the Golden State Warriors’ trade for Chris Paul.

Was the financial element a key factor in the swap? Absolutely. Baldwin may only be making $2.3 million next season, but Jackson-Davis is making about half that and when you add in the subsequent luxury tax savings, it all counts.

Yet behind the monetary perspective, there’s a very real on-court aspect to this trade. Many Warrior fans were initially disappointed to lose Baldwin, with the smooth-shooting forward having shown some positive signs with the franchise in his rookie season.

The 20-year-old’s early impressions in Summer League only extended on that, exciting many in Washington while simultaneously generating nerves among Golden State fans weary that they’d lost an intriguing talent.

That may be the case — ultimately we might not know for several years — but those nerves have been arrested somewhat by a quieter Baldwin over the last few games, and more importantly Jackson-Davis’ explosive albeit late start to his Summer League campaign.

The 23-year-old made his Warrior debut against the Houston Rockets on Thursday, impressing with 14 points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes of action. Meanwhile Baldwin’s numbers across four games in Vegas have slumped somewhat — averages of 7.8 points, 5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks on 35.5% shooting from the floor and 27.3% from three-point range.

In Jackson-Davis you’ve got someone hellbent on proving the whole league wrong given how late he was drafted. In Baldwin you’ve got a player keen to make the Warriors regret giving up on him so early into his career. Together it makes for an interesting dynamic, even if they’re separated in different conferences and on completely different team trajectories.

Although Baldwin and Jackson-Davis may be considered smaller parts of the Poole-Paul trade, they’re unquestionably connected as practically a player-for-player swap. Both players have the talent to swing their part of the transaction from late minute add-in to significant asset, forever altering the final trade evaluation in the process.