Ex-Guard's Media Day quote suggests he was never totally comfortable in Warriors role

From the moment Chris Paul was traded to the Golden State Warriors last June, there was immediate concerns on how the veteran point guard would fit at a once noted rival.

That stemmed from less about the off-court chemistry, but more about the contrasting styles and Paul playing with another hall of fame point guard in Stephen Curry. Yet those concerns largely dissipated as last season developed, with Paul providing a valuable impact even if he was far from worth the $30.8 million the Warriors were paying him.

It was no surprise that Golden State chose to waive Paul's $30 million non-guaranteed contract for this season, allowing the 39-year-old to enter free agency for the first time in his career where he ultimately signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs.

Chris Paul's motive for joining the Spurs suggests he was never totally comfortable in his role with the Warriors

When asked about the decision to join the Spurs at media day on Monday, Paul pointed to the "ability to play" as one of the key reasons behind his move to San Antonio.

“Looking at the team and also just the ability to play, to hoop, to get back to playing. I think that’s the motivation. It’s to compete," Paul said. "And to look at the team that they have here, obviously Pop, it looked like it could be a good fit. And I’m just excited for the new experience.”

Paul transitioned to a bench role for the first time in his decorated career with Golden State last season. While he created some headlines last offseason with his responses to assumptions that he'd come off the bench, Paul's ultimate willingness to accept the role was actually far greater than some had forecast.

However, this latest media day quote suggests the 12x All-Star was never totally comfortable playing back up to Curry, having come off the bench in 40 of his 58 games during his lone year with the Warriors.

Golden State fans can't really begrudge Paul for his wish to play as much as possible, but it could be another reason to question why the franchise traded for a back up point guard on $30 million in the first place, and whether they could have targeted a different player in a position of need once they started looking to deal Jordan Poole.

Paul averaged 9.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 26.4 minutes per game with the Warriors last season, having shot 44.1% from the floor and 37.1% from three-point range.