4 rival stars the Golden State Warriors would never acquire via trade or free agency
Rewind to just over 12 months ago and Chris Paul was one of the Golden State Warriors biggest rivals -- a player you could scarcely imagine would ever join the franchise and rep the blue and gold.
From the heated tunnel altercation back in his days with the LA Clippers, to the often tense playoff battles during his tenure with the Houston Rockets, Paul was not only a foe but someone who played in a very different way to the Warriors. Yet despite all that, Golden State forgot about the past and traded for the 12x All-Star last offseason.
To Paul's credit, he too forgot about the moments of ill will, developed a greater relationship with his former rivals including Draymond Green, and willingly accepted a sixth-man role for the first time in his decorated career.
Whether it be due to ongoing animosity or just being a poor fit, there's a number of stars the Golden State Warriors would simply never acquire
Paul's stint with the Warriors would only last one season, having since moved on to the San Antonio Spurs where he signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal in free agency last month. His 58 games with the franchise were fine -- finishing outside the playoffs was far from ideal, but Paul's individual impact was arguably better than predicted.
As the 39-year-old moves on to his seventh NBA team, it gets us wondering about whether there's truly any players around the league that Golden State would never acquire under any circumstances? Paul should have fit that bill and yet his arrival last offseason suggests anything is possible.
The answer is yes there are players who you could almost guarantee would never play for the Warriors. Dillon Brooks has been a fierce rival for many over recent years, but particularly Golden State to the point where you couldn't envisage him joining the team. The same can be said for Jusuf Nurkic, at least while Draymond Green is still on the Warrior roster.
But what about big-name players - those who have earned multiple All-Star selections during their career? Paul's move to the franchise may have shifted the idea of what's possible, but let's look at four stars who will almost assuredly never become Warriors.