If Chris Paul starts, should Golden State Warriors consider trade for wantaway superstar?

Although Damian Lillard has publicly admitted his desire for a trade away from the Portland Trail Blazers, it’s incredibly unlikely that the 33-year-old comes home to the Bay Area and the Golden State Warriors.

Having grown up in Oakland, there’s always been the slight suggestion of Lillard one day playing for the Warriors. Yet with the franchise having a better version of him in Stephen Curry, there’s never been a realistic avenue of making that happen.

Theoretically, Lillard’s trade request does make it possible right now, but that’s not to say either franchise or player will want to entertain the idea. That means it comes as no surprise when Golden State were excluded from four different mock trades assembled and analyzed by ESPN.

The Miami Heat is Lillard’s preferred destination, but that’s not to say other teams won’t try to get their hands on him. According to ESPN, the Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Toronto Raptors could also build packages that interest the Portland front office.

If Chris Paul is going to start for the Golden State Warriors, why not entertain a Damian Lillard trade?

With reports Steve Kerr is likely to start Chris Paul on opening night, would the Warriors be better placed with Lillard in his spot instead? The answer to that is no, as threatening as a Lillard, Curry, Klay Thompson shooting trio would be.

From a trade perspective, Golden State could enter the conversation with a package involving Paul, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, salary filler, and future draft capital. That would slaughter their future flexibility though, both from a financial and asset perspective.

On the floor it would cull Golden State’s rotational depth, particularly with third-year players Kuminga and Moody each of whom are expected to take a major leap this season. Perhaps that could be mitigated by picking up minimum-contract veterans, much like the Heat are planning if they eventually get a deal done.

Despite entering the season at 38-years-old, Paul has always (and probably still is) a far better defender than Lillard. Warrior fans are loathing the idea of a Paul, Curry, Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green small-ball lineup, but it would only be worse with Lillard in the mix.

Lillard is the biggest domino yet to fall in the NBA this offseason, with his eventual destination likely to shift championship calculations whenever that may be. There’s no doubting his greatness, but the prospective fit at the Warriors has never been suitable. While you could say the same about Paul, it’s a lot easier to talk yourself into him with nearly $200 million less on the books.

Golden State’s recent acquisition of Paul should teach every NBA fan to never say never when it comes to player movement. Still, a move for Lillard may be even more shocking than the franchise’s Poole-for-Paul trade on draft day in June.